The Charlotte Hornets have endured an uneven homestand without their head coach and hope to get back in the win column when they host the Chicago Bulls on Friday. With coach Steve Clifford out indefinitely for health reasons, the Hornets split the first two games of the four-game stay at the Spectrum Center, falling 101-87 to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.

The Golden State Warriors passed their first test without Stephen Curry in the lineup and are one win away from sweeping their longest road trip of the season. The Warriors will try to cap off a 6-0 trip when they visit the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

LeBron James continues to find different ways to lead his team to victories, and the Cleveland Cavaliers don't seem like they're going to lose anytime soon. James will try to guide the Cavaliers to a franchise-record 14th consecutive win when they visit the Central Division rival Indiana Pacers on Friday.

Two teams fighting through injuries to key players meet Friday night when the Denver Nuggets visit the rejuvenated Orlando Magic. The Magic grinded out a 110-106 overtime victory over Atlanta on Wednesday for their third win in five games, but saw second-leading scorer Evan Fournier go down with a sprained ankle, while Denver is without two of its top three scorers - Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap - with injuries.

The Toronto Raptors own the best home record in the NBA but they know they need to pile up some wins on the road if they're going to keep pace in the Eastern Conference. After a 3-0 homestand, the Raptors begin a four-game road trip against Western Conference opponents when they visit the reeling Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

The Milwaukee Bucks seek payback for their most lopsided loss in nearly two years when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. The Bucks were on a four-game winning streak and the Mavericks were occupying the basement in the Western Conference entering their matchup in Dallas on Nov. 17, when the hosts pulled off a shocking 111-79 rout.

New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins always gets up for games against his former team, but he might have some trouble getting over the bar he set for himself on Wednesday. Cousins will try to follow up a 40-point, 22-rebound effort when the Pelicans host the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

The best road team in the Eastern Conference meets the top home team in the West when the Boston Celtics open a three-game road trip at the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. The Celtics won the last four of a five-game homestand, capped by Wednesday's 97-90 victory over Dallas, and won 10 of their last 11 road games since a season-opening loss at Cleveland.