The Charlotte Hornets host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday looking to shake off a lackluster homestand in which they have split four games, all in advance of hitting the road for seven of their next eight games. The Hornets fell 101-96 to New Orleans on Wednesday to fall five games out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, and with a 6-13 record away from home there is urgency for Charlotte to play better before the stretch of road play begins.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 3-10 since Christmas and not even a team meeting and an airing of grievances seemed to help the team. The Cavaliers will try to avoid a third consecutive loss when they host the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

The Toronto Raptors have won three of their last four and have a golden opportunity to continue their rise toward the top of the Eastern Conference. While the Raptors' top competitors in the conference - Boston and Cleveland - have fallen off, Toronto has some momentum entering a stretch in which it plays 10 of 13 at home, beginning Friday against the Utah Jazz.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been dominant at home lately and will try to carry that success into a five-game road trip that begins Friday at the Chicago Bulls. The Lakers held on to top the Boston Celtics 108-107 on Tuesday to run their home winning streak to six games and improve to 7-2 overall since a nine-game losing slide.

The Los Angeles Clippers' surge into playoff contention in the Western Conference slowed considerably with losses in each of the last three games. The Clippers will try to right the ship and get back to .500 when they open a two-game road trip by visiting the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

The Milwaukee Bucks won their first game in the post-Jason Kidd era, and they hope to have their superstar back in the lineup for the second game since the head coach was fired. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has missed two games with a knee issue, is hopeful to return Friday when the Bucks host the Brooklyn Nets to cap a two-game homestand.

The New Orleans Pelicans have been picking on some sub-.500 teams during their current winning streak, but they get a big step up in competition when the surging Houston Rockets come to town Friday night. Consecutive victories over Memphis, Chicago and Charlotte give the Pelicans six wins in their last seven games overall and lifted the team to a season-high five games over .500.

The Portland Trail Blazers ran their home winning streak to seven in a row with an impressive win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, but the road has proven to be tougher to tame. The Trail Blazers will try to snap a four-game road slide when they open a stretch with five of six away from home by visiting the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.

The Philadelphia 76ers are climbing up the Eastern Conference standings with wins in eight of their last 10 games -- a stretch that includes the franchise's first win over the San Antonio Spurs in six years. The 76ers will try to make it two straight over the perennial contenders when they visit San Antonio on Friday.

The New York Knicks are sliding out of playoff contention with 14 setbacks in their past 18 games as they conclude a seven-game road trip with a visit to the Phoenix Suns on Friday. New York is 2-4 on its lengthy excursion after suffering a 130-118 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.