Well, Augustin came out of the All-Star break with a serious statement game on Tuesday, canning 8-of-15 from the field (including two three-pointers) and 5-of-5 from the line for 23 points and eight assists in close to 36 minutes of action. It was great to see his shot falling, especially given his horrific shooting woes of late (14-of-49 in his previous half dozen games).

The 2010-11 season has pretty much been an endless struggle for the Toronto Raptors, so at this stage of the season – as we enter the unofficial second half — it’s really hard to describe any games as big for this lottery-bound club. Still, Tuesday’s game in Charlotte does hold significance for Toronto as it needs a win to avoid the dubious distinction of matching the franchise record of 11 straight road losses.

The Indiana Pacers have a young, improving team that looks poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06, but on Tuesday night they got schooled by one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.