Matchups

A pair of teams battling for spots at the bottom of the Eastern Conference postseason bracket will square off when the Detroit Pistons visit the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. The Hornets have won five straight games to pull into a battle for the No. 5 spot in the East while the Pistons are scraping with the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers for the last two slots.

The Philadelphia 76ers are staring at their best chance to snap a 13-game slide when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. The 76ers own the worst record in the NBA, 10 games behind the Nets, who are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference.

The Boston Celtics are doing things at home that haven't been seen since the days of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. They will try to extend their longest home winning streak since the original Big 3 ruled the town when they host the Houston Rockets on Friday at TD Garden.

Miami has been thriving without forward Chris Bosh and the 11-time All-Star will again be sidelined when the Heat visit the Chicago Bulls on Friday. However, Bosh stated Thursday that he is not dealing with a repeat of last season's blood clot issues and hopes to return in time to help the Heat make a playoff run.

The Memphis Grizzlies look to finish off a four-game season sweep of New Orleans when they host the Pelicans on Friday. Memphis resides in fifth place in the Western Conference but is battling injury issues, including the season-ending loss of center Marc Gasol (foot).

The Oklahoma City Thunder look to continue their dominance of Minnesota and complete a four-game season sweep of the visiting Timberwolves when the teams square off on Friday. Oklahoma City has won 10 straight and 24 of the last 27 meetings and also has recorded 12 consecutive home wins against Minnesota.

The Washington Wizards are losing ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race and attempt to snap a three-game losing streak when they visit the Utah Jazz on Friday. Washington resides in 10th place in the East with just 19 games remaining and opened a three-game road trip by losing at Portland on Tuesday.

Two teams desperate for a victory, with their slim playoff hopes fading, meet when the Orlando Magic visit the Sacramento Kings on Friday night. Orlando has dropped three in a row after a setback against the struggling Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday and the Kings have lost three straight and seven of their past eight contests.

The Golden State Warriors will try to avenge one of their six losses when the Portland Trail Blazers visit on Friday. The Warriors looked off in the first game after the All-Star break and were crushed 137-105 at Portland but have won nine of 10 since to stay ahead of the pace set by the record-setting 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

The New York Knicks found a positive amid a season of negatives on Wednesday and will try to keep that momentum going when the competition ramps up significantly on Friday at the Los Angeles Clippers. The Knicks set seasons highs for points scored and margin of victory in a 128-97 triumph at the lowly Phoenix Suns.