The Cleveland Cavaliers' lengthy list of absences is extending to the coaching staff, but the team is still hanging onto the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers hope to have coach Tyronn Lue back on the bench when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

Back-to-back tight losses to fellow Eastern Conference playoff contenders knocked the Indiana Pacers out of the No. 3 spot in the East, but a stretch with three of four at home should give them an opportunity to jump back up. The Pacers begin that stretch by hosting the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

The Philadelphia 76ers hope to keep taking advantage of lesser opponents as they fight for playoff positioning when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. The Sixers took care of business against the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets - two of the five Eastern Conference teams that are at least 20 games below .500 - to begin the stretch and they also look forward to matchups with lowly squads Memphis and Orlando after finishing up with the Hornets.

Both the Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets have a chance for a rare winning streak when the teams meet Monday in New York City. The Grizzlies snapped their 19-game losing streak by knocking off Denver 101-94 on Saturday to cap a three-game homestand.

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone ripped into his team after it opened a crucial road trip with a loss to the team with the worst record in the NBA. Malone hopes his words can translate to action when the Nuggets continue the seven-game voyage with a visit to the Miami Heat on Monday.

The New York Knicks will try to close out a long homestand with a rare winning streak when they host the Chicago Bulls on Monday in a matchup of two teams playing out the string. The Knicks ended a nine-game losing streak with a 124-101 rout of Charlotte on Saturday, displaying a rare dose of solid defensive play to improve to 17-17 at home.

A matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors loses some luster with four stars unavailable, but that doesn't mean it's not important. The Spurs will try to hang onto one of the top eight spots in the Western Conference when they host the short-handed Warriors on Monday.

The Detroit Pistons played their way out of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference in large part due to their inability to win on the road. The Pistons will try to snap a 12-game road slide when they continue a six-game trip by visiting the Sacramento Kings on Monday.