The Miami Heat are battling an injury bug but continue to find ways to thrive while mixing lineups. The Heat will try to put up another high assist total and earn another win when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

A press conference with the general manager and the team president questioning the team's effort did not seem to snap the New York Knicks out of their funk as the team matched its worst 11-game start in franchise history on Tuesday. The Knicks will try to pull out of their rut and save coach David Fizdale's job when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

The Milwaukee Bucks are winners of five of their last six games but will have to continue their hot play without one of their key players. The Bucks will play their first game this season without All-Star swingman Khris Middleton when they host the Chicago Bulls on Friday.

Standout forward Paul George is expected to make his franchise debut when the Los Angeles Clippers visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday. George underwent offseason surgery on both shoulders and was later acquired by the Clippers from the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the package to entice free agent Kawhi Leonard to sign with the club.

Trae Young has been a scoring machine in the early part of the season and he aims to fill up the nets some more when the Atlanta Hawks visit the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. Young scored 15 of his season-high 42 points in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's 125-121 road win over the Denver Nuggets to help the Hawks end a three-game slide.

The Brooklyn Nets look to avoid falling three games below .500 when they continue a five-game road trip by visiting the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. Brooklyn fell to 1-2 on the trip when it blew a 15-point halftime lead en route to a 119-114 loss to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.