If there were any lingering doubts as to whether the Toronto Raptors were true NBA title contenders, they should be eliminated by now. The Raptors snapped the mighty Houston Rockets' winning streak at 17 games in a Friday night thriller and look to extend their own run to eight when they visit the stumbling New York Knicks for a Sunday matinee.

The Chicago Bulls visit the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday in a matchup of two teams who are trying to avoid finishing with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, and both squads come in after disappointing road losses Friday. Chicago led Detroit by 10 points in the second quarter before scoring just 36 points after halftime of a 99-83 defeat, while Atlanta found itself down 19 points after one quarter of a 112-87 loss at Indiana.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are closer to 10th in the Western Conference than they are to third, and a recent slide is to blame. The Timberwolves will try to avoid a fourth consecutive setback when they host the depleted Golden State Warriors on Sunday.

A 10-game winning streak didn't provide much separation from the rest of the pack in the Western Conference for the New Orleans Pelicans, who badly missed star forward Anthony Davis while watching that winning streak come to an end on Friday. The Pelicans hope to have Davis back in the lineup when they host the hard-charging Utah Jazz on Sunday.

The Denver Nuggets are fighting for postseason position in the Western Conference and are getting a little feisty at the end of games, especially guard Jamal Murray. Murray and company will try to keep their emotions in check and earn a fourth win in six games when they host the lowly Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

The Houston Rockets have tasted defeat for the first time since late January and could be without their MVP candidate when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. James Harden is considered questionable for the matchup because of a sore knee that didn't seem to bother him Friday at Toronto, when the Rockets saw their 17-game winning streak come to an end.

The Boston Celtics have suffered only a three-point loss at Western Conference-leading Houston since the All-Star break, winning their other six games in that stretch by an average of 14 points. They will look to stay hot and keep close in the race for the top spot in the East when they host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets will become very familiar with one another with three more meetings down the stretch, beginning with a matchup in New York City on Sunday. The Sixers dropped four of their last seven games after a seven-game winning streak and sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James should expect to be showered with love from the fans when his team visits the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. James, who can become a free agent after the season, has been hearing recruiting pitches from fans and billboards are already up in Los Angeles trying to recruit him to the Lakers.