NBA schedule: Dwight Howard scores 20 in returns to LA as Rockets best Lakers

... and nobody that good on offense should be allowed to do this on the other end:

It’s all in the numbers. Love went off for 42 points and 16 rebounds, while Rubio dished out 17 assists and grabbed seven rebounds. The point guard scored just six points on 2-of-10 shooting, but with Love pouring it in (14-of-22 from the field) the passing was more than enough.

The stakes are high in a Western Conference showdown between the San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers, even though Tony Parker and LaMarcus Aldridge are injured. Meanwhile, the ESPN schedule includes an offense-defense matchup as the Indiana Pacers face the Minnesota Timberwolves, and later, Dwight Howard returns to Los Angeles as the Rockets visit the Lakers. These are just a few of the contests on the NBA’s 11 game slate.

10 p.m. ET