The Portland Trail Blazers needed the rest after dropping three straight and five of six prior to the All-Star break and hope to return rejuvenated for the final 26 games of the regular season. The Orlando Magic, who host the Trail Blazers on Thursday, spent the month prior to the break sinking toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference and are looking for their own turnaround.

The playoff race in the Eastern Conference is far from settled with less than two months remaining in the regular season, and both the Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets intend to be part of the top eight when the dust settles. The Pistons, who currently hold down the No. 8 spot in the East, will try to improve their standing when they host the slumping Hornets on Thursday.

It is sinking in to DeMarcus Cousins that he is no longer a member of the Sacramento Kings and the All-Star center makes his New Orleans debut when the Pelicans host the Houston Rockets on Thursday. Cousins was traded to New Orleans for a package that included guards Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans and a first-round draft pick and now will be on the same frontline as All-Star Game MVP Anthony Davis.

The Cleveland Cavaliers routinely dominate the New York Knicks and look to make it 10 consecutive wins in the series when the teams meet Thursday in Cleveland. The Cavaliers won this season's first three meetings by an average of 22.7 points, including wins by 29 and 32 points.

The stretch run in the NBA begins when teams come back from the All-Star break on Thursday, and everyone is chasing the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors will try to further solidify their standing as the top team in the Western Conference when they host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

The Sacramento Kings have moved on the from the DeMarcus Cousins era and are starting another rebuilding project as they enter Thursday's game against the Denver Nuggets. Sacramento traded the All-Star center to the New Orleans Pelicans in a deal that included guards Buddy Hield and Tyreke Evans and a first-round draft pick.