The Detroit Pistons are quietly emerging as a power in the Eastern Conference and will try to extend their latest winning streak to four straight games when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. The Pistons are winners of six of their last seven and rolled over the Indiana Pacers 114-97 on Wednesday.

Even as the injuries mount for the Boston Celtics, so do the wins, and the hottest team in the NBA seeks an 11th consecutive victory Friday night against the visiting Charlotte Hornets. Playing without center Al Horford (concussion protocol) and losing star rookie Jayson Tatum (ankle) in the second quarter, the Celtics worked their way past the rival Los Angeles Lakers by a 107-96 margin Wednesday.

The Chicago Bulls began the season with drama when Bobby Portis punched Nikola Mirotic in the face, hospitalizing Mirotic and earning himself an eight-game suspension. Portis is back in the lineup and will once again try to make fans think of him for his exploits on the court when the Bulls host the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

The Los Angeles Clippers are tumbling in the wrong direction after a 4-0 start and look to reverse their fortunes when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. Los Angeles has dropped three straight games and five of its last six while the Thunder are also spiraling downward with four consecutive setbacks.

The San Antonio Spurs are winners of three in a row and are coming off one of their best offensive performances of the young season. The Spurs will try to maintain that level on offense and pick things up on the other end when they host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

The Orlando Magic took a brief detour back into their offensive inconsistency after a sizzling start but pulled out of it with a win on Wednesday, just in time to generate some positive momentum prior to a four-game road trip out west. The Magic will try to make it back-to-back wins and get the trip started on the right foot when they visit the Phoenix Suns on Friday.

The Utah Jazz are struggling to rediscover their defensive identity and will take on a Miami Heat team that is coming off its best offensive effort of the season when the teams meet in Salt Lake City on Friday. After opening the season with a 5-3 record while holding every opponent to 103 points or fewer, the Jazz have dropped three in a row while giving up an average of 116.7.

Damian Lillard will try to bounce back from his worst offensive effort of the season when his Portland Trail Blazers continue a six-game homestand against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Lillard had a season-low 12 points while shooting 4-for-16 - including 0-for-5 from the 3-point line - in Tuesday's 98-97 loss to Memphis.