The Charlotte Hornets can't afford to go on another losing streak if they want to remain in the race for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and are looking forward to a stretch of schedule that includes plenty of home games. The Hornets will begin that stretch of eight of 10 at home when they host the Orlando Magic on Friday.

The Chicago Bulls aren't clicking like a team headed to the postseason and look to halt a three-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets on Friday. Chicago dropped four of its last five games and slipped to two games below .500 with Wednesday's 98-91 loss to the Orlando Magic.

The Milwaukee Bucks are making a drive toward the postseason in the Eastern Conference and have a chance to gain a game in the standings at the expense of one of the teams in front of them when they host the Indiana Pacers on Friday. The Bucks are winners of four in a row to climb back within spitting distance of the No. 8 spot in the East.

The travel-weary and depleted Golden State Warriors don't look much like their explosive best offensively of late. The Warriors will try to summon the energy to avoid back-to-back losses for the second time this month when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

If the regular season ended right now, the Toronto Raptors would own the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and would host the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. The teams will give fans a glimpse of that possible first-round matchup when the Raptors visit the Hawks on Friday.

The Boston Celtics are putting pressure on the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers and look to follow up a stellar victory with another win when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Boston recorded an impressive 99-86 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday and stands 2-2 on a five-game trip that ends in Denver.

The Dallas Mavericks are making a push for the final Western Conference playoff spot and strive to record their fourth consecutive victory when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Dallas has its sights set on a 5-0 homestand as it ends the set with games against the lowly Nets and Phoenix Suns.

The Washington Wizards are a scorching-hot basketball squad but they have dropped their last six visits to Sacramento. The Wizards try to end that dubious skid when they visit the Kings on Friday looking for their first victory in Sacramento since Jan. 21, 2009.