The Charlotte Bobcats haven't won consecutive games in nearly four months, a situation they'll try to change when they travel to Toronto to face the Raptors on Friday. The Bobcats are coming off a stunning 100-74 thrashing of Boston and are trying to notch back-to-back victories for the first time since wins on Nov. 19 and Nov. 21 - the latter of which came against Toronto. The Raptors have lost seven of nine.

In an otherwise difficult season that will almost certainly result in a fifth straight season out of the playoffs, the Washington Wizards have established a relative degree of dominance at home. They look to continue that positive trend when they welcome the New Orleans Hornets to the Verizon Center on Friday. With a 106-93 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, the Wizards improved to 13-4 in their last 17 home games.

Just when the Los Angeles Lakers were picking up some momentum, another injury to one of their stars is threatening to knock them back off course. The Lakers could be without Kobe Bryant when they continue their road trip at the Indiana Pacers on Friday. Bryant suffered a severe left ankle sprain on his last shot of Wednesday’s loss at Atlanta and left the arena with a limp after being ruled out indefinitely.

A date with the visiting Phoenix Suns on Friday would seem to be exactly the type of opportunity the Atlanta Hawks need to take advantage of to solidify their playoff standing, but the Hawks might have to try to do so without two starters. Forward Josh Smith (sprained left knee) and point guard Jeff Teague (sprained left ankle) are listed as questionable after missing Atlanta's previous game, an impressive 96-92 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Coming off a resounding win, the Houston Rockets continue their season-long seven-game homestand Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rookie Donatas Motiejunas scored a season-high 19 points in Houston's 111-81 victory over Phoenix on Wednesday night, the Rockets' fourth win in six games. Five others scored in double figures for Houston, including leading scorer James Harden (18 points).

The Oklahoma City Thunder seek their 10th victory in 12 games when they host the Orlando Magic on Friday. Oklahoma City is battling San Antonio for the top spot in the Western Conference, while Orlando has the second-worst record in the NBA - ahead of only lowly Charlotte. The Thunder are 29-4 at home, including six straight by an average margin of 23.8 points. The Magic are 8-22 on the road. The two teams meet again on March 22 in Orlando.

The Miami Heat were handed a 19-point defeat in their last trip to Milwaukee, but they'll try to leave town with a 21-game winning streak this time as the red-hot Heat take on the Bucks on Friday. The teams have split two games this season with the home team winning each. Miami eked out a 113-106 overtime win at home Nov. 21, and the Bucks thumped the Heat 104-85 on Dec. 29 in Milwaukee.

The Dallas Mavericks have little time to recover from a tough road loss before hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. The Mavericks nearly erased all of an eight-point lead in the final two-plus minutes before falling 92-91 in San Antonio on Thursday. Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points and made a big jumper in the final minute that gave Dallas a chance, but Vince Carter's 3-pointer at the buzzer was off and the Mavs' four-game winning streak came to an end.

The two hottest teams west of Miami square off Friday when the Denver Nuggets host the Memphis Grizzlies. The Nuggets are seeking their 11th consecutive victory overall and their 15th straight home win. The Grizzlies have won six straight games and 14 of their last 15. Adding to the stellar matchup is that fifth-place Denver is just 1 1/2 games behind third-place Memphis in the Western Conference playoff race. The Grizzlies are playing the third contest of a four-game road swing.

The Golden State Warriors continue to be one of the more enigmatic teams in the Western Conference, capable of losing two in a row at home and then holding the New York Knicks to 63 points to start a two-game winning streak. The Warriors will try to keep the momentum moving in a positive direction when they close out a seven-game homestand by hosting the Chicago Bulls on Friday. The Bulls are coming off an embarrassing loss at Sacramento.