The two hottest teams in the Eastern Conference tangle Thursday when the Toronto Raptors seek their 10th consecutive victory with a visit to the hard-charging Indiana Pacers. The Raptors' nine-game run is two shy of matching the franchise mark established just over two years ago and it has allowed the team to enter Wednesday with a four-game lead over Boston in the race for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Charlotte Hornets are struggling, having lost six of their past seven entering Thursday’s visit to the Atlanta Hawks, and defense has played a big role in their recent skid. The Hornets lost 119-115 on Tuesday at New Orleans to drop 10 games below .500 for the first time since Dec. 31, and in the past seven games have allowed 119.1 points per contest while limiting just one team to fewer than 110 points.

The Philadelphia 76ers are closing in on their first playoff spot since 2012 and have a run of sub-.500 teams on the schedule to help their cause. The soft stretch, which involves five in a row against losing squads, begins Thursday when the Sixers visit the New York Knicks, losers of eight in a row.

The Los Angeles Clippers jumped into the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference with a win in the first of a three-game road trip at the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, but the road is about to get significantly tougher. The Clippers will try to improve their position in the standings when they visit the NBA-best Houston Rockets on Thursday.

The Chicago Bulls are not doing so well against teams above them in the standings of late but are not having much trouble against teams fighting for the bottom. The Bulls will try to take advantage of the worst team in the NBA and win for the fourth time in seven games when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.

The San Antonio Spurs are in a very different position than usual right now, staring up at eight teams above them in the race for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Spurs will get a chance to gain back a game at the expense of one of the teams they're chasing when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.

The Denver Nuggets hurt their cause in the Western Conference playoff race with three losses in their last five games. With their longest road trip of the season on the horizon, Thursday's home matchup with the reeling Detroit Pistons is practically a must-win scenario for the Nuggets.

The Utah Jazz have a golden opportunity to continue their rise in the Western Conference while facing a string of lesser opponents at home. They began the stretch in dominant fashion against the stumbling Detroit Pistons and look to make it two in a row on the homestand when the Phoenix Suns visit on Thursday.

The Portland Trail Blazers can't seem to lose, and they are finally beginning to gain a little separation from the pack of teams chasing them for the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who visit the Trail Blazers on Thursday, already ceded the No. 3 spot in the East and are 2-2 on a six-game road trip.