Star center Kristaps Porzingis looks for a much-improved performance in his second game back from a knee injury when the New York Knicks visit the Detroit Pistons on Friday. Porzingis missed all 11 of his field-goal attempts and scored just one point on Thursday, but New York still posted an impressive 102-93 victory over Boston.

Two teams in dire need of a major boost meet Friday night when the New Orleans Pelicans visit the Orlando Magic after losing the first two on their four-game road trip. The Pelicans are under .500 for the first time since Nov. 3 after losing two straight and eight of the last 12 contests while injury-plagued Orlando has dropped six in a row and 17 of 20 after a promising start to the season.

The Washington Wizards head to Brooklyn for the second time in less than two weeks and will try to avenge an earlier loss to the Nets when the teams meet Friday night. Playing without star point guard John Wall, the Wizards dropped a 103-98 decision at Brooklyn on Dec. 12, which happens to be the last win for the Nets.

The Miami Heat are starting to find their top form with five wins in the last seven games and hope to continue the trend when they open a four-game homestand against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. Miami knocked off Boston 90-89 on Wednesday without its top two scorers as former Celtics center Kelly Olynyk drained six 3-pointers en route to a season-high 32 points.

The winning streak is finally over for the Houston Rockets, and Chris Paul is back on the injury report. The Rockets will try to pick themselves up after a rare loss and win for the 15th time in 16 games when they host Paul's former team, the Los Angeles Clippers, on Friday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks will try to avoid a letdown after perhaps their biggest win of the season when they host the slumping Charlotte Hornets on Friday in the front end of a home-and-home set. Behind 27 points, 14 rebounds and a season high-tying eight assists from Antetokounmpo, the Bucks got past red-hot Cleveland 119-116 on Tuesday to begin a two-game homestand.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have won eight of their past 11 games, and come into Friday’s home contest against the Atlanta Hawks following an impressive offensive performance in a victory over Utah. The Thunder are above .500 for the first time since early November after Russell Westbrook finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds in a 107-79 home rout of the Jazz, and Paul George and Carmelo Anthony each scored 10 points in the decisive third quarter.

If the Portland Trail Blazers are going to entertain any thoughts about competing in the Western Conference, they will need to figure out a way to defend home court. The Trail Blazers aim for their first home win in over a month when they host the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

The Los Angeles Lakers' tour of NBA title contenders continues on Friday, when they visit the defending champion Golden State Warriors. The Lakers lost at the Cleveland Cavaliers and home against the Warriors before finally knocking off a contender with a 122-116 win at the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.