The Milwaukee Bucks return from the All-Star break ready to continue their stellar season and resume play with a road contest against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. Milwaukee owns the NBA's best record but will be tested over the next 2 1/2 weeks with eight of its next 11 games on the road.

The Miami Heat come out of the All-Star break still on the road, but at least they're back on the east coast. The Heat will finish off a six-game trip that spanned the break when they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.

Brooklyn standout guard Kyrie Irving aggravated his shoulder injury and will be out of action when the Nets visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. Irving will have the ailing right shoulder examined in a visit with a specialist later this week, which likely will provide a timetable in terms of how long he will be sidelined.

Chicago hosted the NBA's All-Star weekend, but the Bulls were barely represented, with only Zach LaVine's participation in the 3-point contest keeping them from being shut out entirely. The Charlotte Hornets, who had their young talent on display during the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, will visit Chicago as the teams begin the stretch run on Thursday.

The Memphis Grizzlies are positioned nicely as they resume play after the All-Star break by visiting the Sacramento Kings on Thursday. Memphis not only is a surprising two games above .500 but it currently holds the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference by four games over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Houston Rockets' basketball revolution will begin its stretch run to the playoffs when they come out of the All-Star break and visit the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. The Rockets are taking small ball to the extreme with no center in the lineup and are hoping to make their way up the Western Conference standings over the next several weeks.