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Preview: Maple Leafs (5-9) at Hurricanes (6-10)

Date: November 20, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

As the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to find their overall rhythm, the Carolina Hurricanes are still searching for some on the offensive end.

Looking to win for the fifth time in six contests, the visiting Maple Leafs can halt their struggles in this series by extending the Hurricanes' season-high losing streak to five games Friday night.

Toronto (6-9-4) managed six points in its first 12 games, but has recorded at least one in six of the last seven.

"We've got lots of good things happening," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "We've got to keep building the group. We're confident that as long as we keep building everyday we can have success over the long haul."

The Maple Leafs perhaps took a major step in that progression Tuesday by going 4 for 5 on the power play and also recording a short-handed goal in their 5-1 victory over Colorado. Toronto had scored eight times on 53 opportunities with the man advantage going into that contest.

It has 12 goals in the last three games.

'We're all pretty comfortable where we are and we're moving the puck, we're bringing the puck to the net and good things are happening for us,' said veteran P.A. Parenteau, who scored two power-play goals Tuesday and has recorded all but two of his nine points in his last eight contests.

'It's a very tough league to score goals 5-on-5, we all know that, so it's nice to have nights like (Tuesday)."

The Maple Leafs also killed all four penalties and James Reimer made 34 saves to win his fourth consecutive start. Reimer has a 1.62 goals-against average during his 4-0-2 stretch.

"We've had more success of late so guys are feeling good," Babcock said. "You try to maximize each other and build the people up ... It takes time for you to figure it out. It's the whole program. Getting them believing."

The Maple Leafs must figure out how to beat Carolina (6-10-2), which has held them to four goals while winning the last four meetings. The Hurricanes have outscored Toronto 22-9 during a six-game home winning streak.

Carolina, though, has been outscored 13-5 over its current 0-2-2 stretch. The Hurricanes are among the NHL leaders averaging 30.6 shots on goal, but their 35 goals rank near the bottom of the league.

"We've got to keep playing," coach Bill Peters told the NHL's official website. "There's lots of hockey left. We've got to find a way to get going a little bit more and score more."

Even shots on net have been hard to come by of late for Carolina, which had 21 in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to Philadelphia and 25 in the 4-1 defeat to Anaheim on Monday.

"We're pretty desperate right now. We need to win hockey games," said rookie defenseman Noah Hanifin, who recorded his first goal Monday.

Cam Ward, who could be back in net after getting Monday off, has allowed three goals in each game of his 0-1-2 stretch. He's posted a 1.73 GAA during a four-game home winning streak against Toronto.

Teammate Eric Staal hasn't scored in six consecutive games, but has eight goals and eight assists in his last 12 against the Maple Leafs.

Preview: Predators (9-3) at Blue Jackets (7-13)

Date: November 20, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Ten days ago, Nashville bailed out Pekka Rinne with six goals in the last two periods after he allowed five in the opening 40 minutes.

Since, the Predators goaltender has returned any favors and then some in his best stretch of the season heading into Friday night's visit to Columbus.

That 7-5 home win over Ottawa back on Nov. 10 began a 3-0-1 span for Nashville (11-3-3), and Tuesday's 3-2 win over Anaheim concluded a five-game homestand. Rinne gave up five goals on 26 shots against the Senators, but has since gone 2-0-1 with a 0.97 goals-against average and .964 save percentage after making a season-high 38 stops against the Ducks.

"(Rinne) gave us an opportunity to win the game," said coach Peter Laviolette, whose team now begins a five-game road trip. 'He was sharp, he saw a lot of pucks, and he got down in the crease tied up a lot of rebounds. He was really good."

James Neal has scored in consecutive games and has all of his 17 points in his last 14, while Shea Weber's third goal in four games came on the power play as the Predators improved to 5 for 18 in the last four.

Roughly a fifth of the way into the season, the Predators are a point ahead of last season's 17-game pace (11-4-2), though they've done it with a significant increase in scoring, averaging 3.00 goals after a 2.47 mark last season.

The trip might begin against the worst team in the Eastern Conference, but they don't expect anything to come easily.

"They're playing well right now, and they're playing with confidence," Laviolette told the team's official website. "When we played them in the exhibition season, they were really a tough team. They just maybe lost their way a little bit at the beginning and sometimes that happens; I think every team goes through it through the course of the year, they just hit their rough patch right at the beginning. It's going to be a good test for us."

Rinne beat the Blue Jackets twice last season while allowing two goals with a .962 save percentage, and the Predators have won the last two meetings in Columbus by a 9-1 total.

The Blue Jackets (7-13-0) weren't much of a scoring threat in Thursday's 3-0 loss in Ottawa, but the defeat ended a three-game winning streak during which they'd scored a very respectable 10 goals. That's a number they'd have given plenty for during a 0-8-0 start in which they averaged 1.88 goals per game.

"We just couldn't find a way to score a goal, we had lots of chances," Ryan Johansen told the team's official website. "It's our job to find ways to get that part of the game down and capitalize on that."

Columbus has climbed back toward respectability in part because of a penalty kill that's gone 20 for 21 over the last five.

Curtis McElhinney faced the Senators, so starter Sergei Bobrovsky figures to be back in net against the Predators. He too has been a part of the turnaround, earning each of Columbus' seven wins and posting a 2.01 GAA and .934 save percentage over a 5-1-0 span. Bobrovsky is 6-3-0 lifetime against the Predators, though that comes with a 2.62 GAA.

The shutout at the hands of Ottawa slowed down Brandon Saad, who had four goals in his previous three games, but the former Central Division foe has five points in his last five regular-season games against Nashville and scored twice as Chicago eliminated the Predators in the playoffs.

Preview: Canadiens (14-4) at Islanders (10-6)

Date: November 20, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

After a disappointing stretch, the New York Islanders seem to have found their stride.

Maintaining that momentum could be more difficult now that a peculiar situation has surrounded the team.

Travis Hamonic's tenure with the Islanders likely will come to a close in the near future but he's expected to be in the lineup Friday night against the Montreal Canadiens, who will have Carey Price in net for the first time in three weeks.

News broke Wednesday that Hamonic had requested a trade prior to the start of the season, and the 25-year-old defenseman addressed the media Thursday.

"The root of all this is a personal family matter of mine that I hold dear to my heart," Hamonic told the team's official website. "It has nothing to do with the organization or how I've been treated here for six years of playing and another two or three since I was drafted. I've honestly been treated like gold from the start."

It won't be easy to find a replacement for Hamonic, who is in his sixth season with the Islanders and is the team leader in ice time (23:30).

"You can see the professionalism in him and what a teammate that he's been and what a first-class individual he's been," coach Jack Capuano said. "I've known for a while and it hasn't affected his game. If anything, he's played better."

With Hamonic's help, the Islanders (10-6-3) have been a much-improved defensive team. They're allowing 2.26 goals per game after yielding 2.73 last season, and their penalty killing ranks among the league's best following a 26th-place finish in 2014-15.

While strong defense has been a constant, the offense had been far more inconsistent until a recent stretch where the goals have come more frequently.

The Islanders scored nine times during a 1-3-2 slide but a trip out west appears to have pushed them in the right direction. They won two of three, scoring four goals in each of those wins before returning home Monday with a 5-2 victory over Arizona.

John Tavares scored two goals and set up another while Kyle Okposo had three assists.

"We're getting there. It was a bit of a slow start," Okposo said. "That West Coast trip was good for us, and we just have to keep playing well, keep stringing (wins) together."

Leading the way has been the line of Tavares, Okposo and Brock Nelson, who have combined for seven goals and 10 assists in the past four games.

Montreal (14-4-2) fell behind 3-0 for the third straight game and was unable to come all the way back Thursday in a 3-2 loss to the Coyotes. Max Pacioretty and Dale Weise scored for the Canadiens, who have allowed 16 goals during a 1-2-1 span.

That struggling defense will get a huge lift as Price makes his first appearance since sustaining a lower-body injury Oct. 29 in Edmonton. Last season's NHL MVP and Vezina Trophy winner is 7-2-0 with a .936 save percentage this season.

Price is 5-1-0 with a .955 mark in his last six starts against New York.

"You get a boost when that guy is on the ice," Weise told the team's official website after practice. "He's our best player. He's our biggest leader in this locker room. When you see him getting close like that, everyone gets excited."

The Canadiens have won four straight and seven of eight against the Islanders, including a 4-1 home victory Nov. 5.

Preview: Kings (11-6) at Red Wings (9-8)

Date: November 20, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Kings are hoping their excellent play away from home thus far continues during the most travel-heavy portion of their schedule.

They'll look to end a six-game losing streak in Detroit, where the Red Wings have been slumping, on Friday night.

After playing a league-high 12 of their first 17 at home, the Pacific Division-leading Kings (12-6-0) are in a stretch in which they play 15 of 20 on the road. Los Angeles, 5-1-0 away from Staples Center, opened a five-game trip with a 3-2 shootout win over Philadelphia on Tuesday.

The Kings were 15-18-8 on the road in 2014-15.

"It's huge for us to get this (road trip) on the right track," said center Anze Kopitar, who has eight goals and 10 assists in his last 16 games against the Red Wings. "It wasn't the prettiest, but at the end of the day we got two points."

The Kings have won 12 of 15, and coach Darryl Sutter was especially pleased with a victory in his team's first shootout of the season. Los Angeles was 2-8 in tiebreakers last season.

"We missed the playoffs last year by two points because of overtimes and shootouts," Sutter said.

Detroit (9-8-2) went 22-10-9 at Joe Louis Arena last season, but is 4-5-1 there in 2015-16 and has lost six of eight, falling 2-1 in overtime to Washington on Wednesday.

"We want to become a really good hockey team," coach Jeff Blashill said. "We got to find a way to win these games at home."

The Red Wings have scored 10 goals in their last six games overall. Gustav Nyquist leads the club with seven goals but has two in his past eight.

They surrendered a goal 45 seconds into the extra period against the Capitals, falling to 3-2 in shootouts and overtime.

"We took too many penalties," Blashill said. "You can't have four in the first period. I thought as the game went along our penalty kill got better and better and better."

The six power plays allowed matched a season high for Detroit, though it only surrendered one goal. The Red Wings have limited opponents to four power-play goals on 34 opportunities over the last 11 games.

Likewise, Los Angeles' power play has been potent, converting 11 of 35 over the last 13 games.

Petr Mrazek has helped Detroit remain competitive despite its offensive struggles, posting a 1.79 goals-against average in his last eight games.

Jonathan Quick had given up three or more goals in five of six starts before stopping 36 shots Tuesday.

The Kings have scored two or fewer goals in all but one game during their skid at Joe Louis.

Los Angeles' 1-0 victory over the Wings on Feb. 24 was their third win in 11 meetings. Quick made 20 saves after recording a 3.54 GAA in his previous 11 matchups.

His 2.96 career GAA in 21 games against Detroit is his second-highest against any team.

Henrik Zetterberg has recorded four goals and nine assists in his last nine meetings with Los Angeles.

Preview: Devils (8-7) at Oilers (6-12)

Date: November 20, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

The New Jersey Devils are enjoying a solid season, though they know they aren't making it easy on themselves by relying mostly on defense and goaltender Cory Schneider.

The Edmonton Oilers are trying to stay positive through some difficult times.

The visiting Devils are hoping to get untracked offensively and hand the Oilers a fourth straight loss Friday night.

New Jersey (10-7-1) is averaging an NHL-worst 25.8 shots, managing 20 in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Calgary in the opener of a three-game trip.

"It's hard to win games with two goals," winger Lee Stempniak said. "You'd like to see us score another goal and give ourselves a chance."

Schneider was upset that he allowed two goals in a 3:29 span of the first period. The game was scoreless to that point, with the Devils feeling they had the better opportunities.

"I thought we had some real quality chances early in the game before they made it 1-0 that we didn't capitalize on and then we had some real good pushes late that we weren't able to finish," coach John Hynes said.

Schneider owns a 1.63 career goals-against average versus Edmonton for his second-best mark against a Western Conference foe. He posted a 29-save shutout the last time he played at Rexall Place on Nov. 21, 2014.

The Devils are allowing 2.33 goals per game thanks in part to Schneider's 2.05 GAA. They have scored a power-play goal in three straight games and have killed off 29 of opponents' last 31 chances with the man advantage.

"They've got exceptional special teams," Oilers coach Todd McLellan said. "They've got a tremendous goaltender that can be the first star on any given night. They still have a defensive mind-set that's very strong, they don't beat themselves."

New Jersey could get its offense going against an Oilers club which has lost nine of 12 while allowing an average of 3.8 goals.

Edmonton (6-12-1) owns the NHL's worst record, though six losses in its last 11 games have been by one goal. That was the case in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime defeat to Chicago.

Leon Draisaitl helped the Oilers gain a point with the tying goal with 2:46 left in regulation. Jordan Eberle and Benoit Pouliot also scored, and star Taylor Hall recorded his fifth point in four games.

"We also have to look at some of the things we're trying to implement systematically, individually as players, they have to be rewarded with some of the things they do well in nights where we don't win," McLellan said. "It's called progress, it doesn't show up in the wins and losses but we are moving forward."

Defenseman Oscar Klefbom and winger Matt Hendricks missed practice Thursday with absences that were not explained. Klefbom leads Edmonton in ice time while Hendricks is among the NHL leaders in winning face-offs at 59.8 percent.

New Jersey has received 33 combined points from Mike Cammalleri and Stempniak, who are former Flames who can expect to be booed by the Oilers faithful. Adam Henrique has scored six of his team-high eight goals on the road.

Preview: Blackhawks (11-7) at Flames (7-12)

Date: November 20, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

The return of two-time Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith combined with the continued stellar play of Patrick Kane and his Russian linemates have paced the surging Chicago Blackhawks.

Looking for a fourth consecutive victory Friday night, the Blackhawks try to continue their success over a Calgary Flames team that appears to have turned things around at home.

Chicago (11-7-1) has not lost in three games since Keith returned after missing 10 with a knee injury. The Blackhawks allowed an average of 3.6 goals during a 2-4-1 slump before he came back, and they've since yielded 2.0 per game while he's recorded two goals and an assist with a plus-5 rating.

The club's penalty kill has held opponents to 1 for 11 on the power play since he returned.

Keith scored a power-play goal in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win at Edmonton, but again the play of Kane, rookie Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov paved the way as Chicago opened its six-game trip on a positive note.

"It's a good start," said goaltender Corey Crawford, who made 34 saves. "But you can't get ahead of yourself on these long road trips."

Panarin had a goal, and one of his two assists set up Marian Hossa's winner. Kane also had two assists, and Anisimov added one for a trio that's been responsible for 45.1 percent of Chicago's production.

"It's been a great start to the season for that group," coach Joel Quenneville said.

Though Kane failed to score for an eighth straight game, he has 10 goals and 14 assists during a 14-game point streak that matches the longest of his career. Panarin, whose 21 points are second to Kane's 30, has five goals and five assists during a six-game point streak. Anisimov has four points in the last three games.

"Their play recognition has been fun to watch, the consistency has been there night in, night out," Quenneville said. "Our opponents, I'm sure, have got to keep aware every time they're on the ice."

The trio accounted for two goals and two assists in Sunday's 4-1 home victory win over the Flames (7-12-1). Kane, who turned 27 on Thursday, has five goals and three assists during a five-game point streak at Calgary.

The Blackhawks are in the midst of a 7-0-3 stretch against the Flames, including 3-0-1 at the Saddledome.

Calgary, however, recorded its third straight home victory Tuesday, 3-2 over New Jersey. David Jones scored his 100th goal to go with an assist and Joe Colborne added two assists for the Flames, who returned from a 1-3-0 trip.

"To be competitive and work your way up the standings you have to win at home, first and foremost, and then you try to gain some points on the road," Jones told the NHL's official website.

Calgary won 23 home games last season en route to making the playoffs for the first time in six years. The Flames allowed an average of 4.7 goals while losing five of their first six at home this season before giving up five total in the last three.

"This is such a great building with our crowd, we have to win here," Jones said. "That's the bottom line."

Jones, who scored at Chicago last weekend, has recorded four of his seven goals in the last five games.

NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews

I can honestly say I didn't expect to type this sentence at all for the 2015-16 NHL season: the Dallas Stars are your Stanley Cup betting favorites.

With the Stars at +700, just ahead of the New York Rangers and Montreal (both +800). Dallas enters Tuesday's game at Buffalo with 28 points (14-4-0, best 18-game start in franchise history), which gives the Stars the lead in the Central Division. Behind Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, who are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the NHL in points, the Stars are No. 2 in the NHL with 65 goals. The offense will be there all season, but I still don't trust that team's goaltending. Kari Lehtonen is 8-1-0 despite a 2.38 goals-against average that's just 21st in the NHL. He splits time with Antti Niemi, who is 6-3-0 with a 2.80 GAA.

The Stars will get some reinforcements on Tuesday. Forwards Patrick Eaves and Travis Moen are ready to return from injury. Eaves missed 15 games with a lower-body injury. Moen missed 14 games with an upper-body issue. The game I'm looking forward to this week involving the Stars is at Washington on Thursday. Here are some other games to watch this week:

Los Angeles at Detroit, Friday: It's the only trip to Motown this season for the Kings, who have taken their rightful spot atop the Pacific Division and have played better on the road than at home, where they used to be nearly unbeatable. The Red Wings are largely treading water and need to get more out of Darren Helm. He has only one goal and no assists after 15 goals and 33 points last season. In Monday's win over Ottawa, the Wings used Helm on a checking line with Luke Glendening and Riley Sheehan. An injury at the start of camp sidelined Helm until the fifth game, and he hasn't seen the power-play time he saw last season. Monday was the first time in seven games the Wings scored more than two goals in a game and only the second time all season they had 30 or more shots on goal.

Anaheim at Tampa Bay, Saturday: Many national publications had this as the Stanley Cup Finals matchup this season. Right now, neither the Ducks nor Lightning would even make the playoffs. The Bolts have been outscored by three goals this season as guys like Tyler Johnson (who currently out with an upper-body injury), Ondrej Palat (out 2-4 weeks with an ankle problem) and Valtteri Filppula have struggled, among others. Anaheim has been fine defensively, leading the NHL in penalty-kill percentage and allowing the fewest power-play goals. The Ducks aren't scoring themselves with only 33 goals, tied with Philadelphia for the fewest in the league. Star Ryan Getzlaf scored an empty-net goal Monday; it was his first goal of the season in his 14th game.

Injury Report

Montreal goaltender Carey Price hasn't played since Oct. 29 due to a lower-body injury and it's not likely he will this week, either. He did take some shots at practice on Monday for the first time since the injury. Backup Mike Condon started off really well in Price's spot but has been shaky in his past three outings.

Islanders winger Mikhail Grabovski left Monday's victory over the Arizona Coyotes after suffering an upper-body injury and did not return. He has registered three goals, five assists and is a plus-5 through 19 games.

Minnesota star Zach Parise hasn't played since Nov. 5 because of an MCL injury but has resumed skating. There still remains no timetable for his return and it won't be until the weekend at the earliest. In 12 games this season, Parise has seven goals and two assists.

Philadelphia's top defenseman, Mark Streit, was to have surgery on Tuesday to repair a pubic plate detachment -- it hurts me just typing that -- and will miss six weeks. Streit has three goals and six assists while playing more than 22 minutes per night.

Columbus center Brandon Dubinsky will miss 2-3 weeks with an elbow injury. In 16 games this season, Dubinsky is second on the team in scoring with 11 points (four goals, seven assists). He leads the team's forwards in average ice time (18:46). Very little has gone right for the disappointing Blue Jackets this season. Nick Foligno will center the second line between Matt Calvert and Cam Atkinson in Dubinsky's spot.

NHL

Hot teams
-- Maple Leafs won four of their last five games.
-- Nashville won four of its last six games. Blue Jackets won three of last four.
-- Islanders won three of their last four games.
-- Kings won four of their last five games.
-- New Jersey won four of its last six games.
-- Blackhawks won four of their last five games. Calgary won last three home games.

Cold teams
-- Hurricanes lost last four games, scoring five goals.
-- Canadiens lost three of their last four games.
-- Red Wings lost three of their last four games.
-- Oilers lost five of their last six games.

Series records
-- Maple Leafs lost last four games with Carolina.
-- Predators won three of last four games with Columbus.
-- Islanders lost seven of last eight games with Montreal.
-- Red Wings won four of last five games with Los Angeles.
-- Devils won four of last six games with Edmonton.
-- Blackhawks won last three games with Calgary.

Totals
-- Last three Toronto games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Columbus games stayed under.
-- Five of last six Montreal-Islander games stayed under.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Detroit games.
-- Eight of last ten Edmonton games went over total.
-- Over is 7-1-1 in last nine Chicago games.

Preview: 76ers (0-12) at Hornets (6-6)

Date: November 20, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Charlotte Hornets have the lowest turnover rate in the NBA, which plays a big part in why they're one of the league's most efficient offensive teams.

The Philadelphia 76ers lead the NBA in turnovers and are its most inefficient offensive club over the last 13 years, so it shouldn't come as a surprise they're still seeking their first win.

The Hornets look to drop the 76ers to 0-13 on the season and hand them a 23rd consecutive loss when Philadelphia opens a six-game trip Friday night.

Charlotte (6-6) began a seven-game homestand Wednesday, hitting 11 of 25 3-pointers in a 116-111 win over Brooklyn. Nicolas Batum bounced back after going 1 of 9 for a season-low four points in Tuesday's loss to New York by scoring 24 to go with eight assists.

'I tried to score and I tried to get my teammates involved and everything seemed to work better than (Tuesday) night,' said Batum, who averaged 28.3 points and went 12 of 21 from beyond the arc in the three games prior to facing the Knicks.

Having won six of nine to get back to .500, the Hornets now look to make a move in the standings with a stretch that doesn't have them on the road again until Dec. 5. Charlotte is averaging 111.8 points and shooting 41.2 percent from 3-point range during a four-game home winning streak.

"To be a good team, obviously, you have to win at home," coach Steve Clifford said.

The Hornets are a good team when it comes to offensive efficiency, averaging 104.5 points per 100 possessions.

They're also committing the fewest turnovers in the league with 11.7 per game. The 76ers had 11 in the second quarter alone Wednesday.

Two days after committing a then-season high 27 giveaways, Philadelphia turned the ball over 31 times - the most by any team this season - in Wednesday's 112-85 loss to Indiana.

'We are 0-12, but the way we lost tonight isn't acceptable,' rookie Jahlil Okafor said.

The 76ers are averaging a league-worst 19.1 turnovers and their average of 90.2 points per 100 possessions is the worst mark in the NBA since Denver was at 88.9 in 2002-03.

They're within five losses of matching last season's team-worst start and six away from tying the NBA record for the longest skid to begin a season, set by the 2009 Nets.

Philadelphia's overall losing streak is at 22, bringing them within four of equaling the league record. The 76ers, losers of six of eight against the Hornets and four in a row in Charlotte, already share that dubious distinction with Cleveland. Philadelphia's skid from Jan. 31-March 27, 2014 matched the Cavaliers' between Nov. 20, 2010-Feb. 9, 2011.

Rookie T.J. McConnell led Philadelphia on Wednesday with a season-high 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, but also committed five turnovers. Okafor had three more giveaways and has a league-worst 17.7 points scored on 100 possessions off his turnovers.

'You're not going to win any NBA games with that quantity of turnovers,' coach Brett Brown said. 'We have a problem and like all the things we'll jump on it and try to get a hell of a lot better than we have been.'

Preview: Nets (2-10) at Celtics (6-5)

Date: November 20, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

While the Boston Celtics hope their latest loss doesn't throw off their rhythm, the Brooklyn Nets are hopeful they are as close as they think to finding theirs.

The Celtics will try to bounce back Friday night when the struggling Nets visit TD Garden for the opener of a home-and-home set.

Boston (6-5) pieced together three straight impressive wins - at home against Atlanta and on the road versus Oklahoma City and Houston - before blowing an 18-point lead in a 106-102 home loss to Dallas on Wednesday.

The Celtics get a chance to regroup against the sputtering Nets (2-10), who will host the back end of this home-and-home set Sunday night. Boston won three of four meetings in last season's series.

"I think you've got to keep your foot on the pedal, man," Isaiah Thomas said. "The best teams just stay the course and play the same way for the most part and go from there."

Boston certainly knows how to step on the gas, as Thomas leads a team that plays at the league's fifth-fastest pace. The Celtics average 14.4 fast-break points and a league-high 23.6 off turnovers. The Nets have surrendered 13.6 fast-break points per game and 17.2 off turnovers.

Thomas has averaged 21.3 points and 7.5 assists in the last four games, but Avery Bradley might provide the Celtics their biggest boost off their bench.

Bradley started Boston's first six games but was forced to miss two straight while nursing a calf injury. He returned off the bench Sunday against the Thunder and scored 14 points, a performance that triggered a switch in coach Brad Stevens' rotation.

'We won and played the next night and felt pretty good about it,' Stevens said.

Bradley matched his season high with 21 points against the Rockets on Monday before scoring 18 against the Mavericks - including 12 straight in a 1:43 span in the first quarter.

Bradley has averaged 20.2 points in his last five games against Brooklyn while making 55.4 percent of his shots and half of his 26 3-pointers.

The Nets have one win in their last 13 away from home, including the final two in the regular season and three more in the playoffs last spring. The Nets have wins over Houston and Atlanta in their last five, but allowed the other three to slip away.

Opportunities were there in the final two minutes of Wednesday's 116-111 loss at Charlotte, but the Nets couldn't grab hold of any. Thaddeus Young missed an easy putback that would have made it a one-possession game with 2:00 left, and Brooklyn couldn't capitalize on two late Charlotte turnovers.

'It could be a little fatigue, but there are no excuses for missed opportunities,' said Young, who scored a season-high 27 points. 'We had every chance to win that game and it slipped by us.'

The light at the end of the tunnel is nearing for the Nets, who open the season with 11 of 16 on the road. Friday ends a span of six of seven away from Barclays Center, but after Sunday's stop in Brooklyn they'll visit Oklahoma City in Cleveland before a home-heavy stretch

Preview: Pistons (6-5) at Timberwolves (5-7)

Date: November 20, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Karl-Anthony Towns has made the adjustment to the NBA after one year in college look effortless, complementing his prowess on the glass and ability to be an eraser at the rim with a surprisingly effective offensive game.

It didn't come quite this easy this early for Andre Drummond - but it sure is now.

The No. 1 overall pick should have his hands full in the paint as Towns' Minnesota Timberwolves try once again for their first home win Friday night against Drummond's Detroit Pistons.

Towns leads all rookies in rebounds (10.7 per game), blocks (2.42), field-goal percentage (50.3) and free-throw percentage (90.2) and is second in scoring (15.8), and while it's hardly a shock that he's having success, the sudden nature of it registers as a bit of an eye-opener. He followed a 14-point, 14-rebound performance in Tuesday's 103-91 win at Miami with 21, 12 and six blocks in Wednesday's 104-101 overtime loss at Orlando.

Combined with fellow 20-year-old Andrew Wiggins' star turn - 2014's top pick is averaging 26.0 points in his last seven - and it's easy to see why Minnesota (5-7) is a team on the rise.

'It's tough when you're relying on young guys, but they're growing up fast,' interim coach Sam Mitchell said.

Drummond's progression from college one-and-done to NBA star took a little more time, but if that leap wasn't official as a third-year player in 2014-15, it is now. He's bumped his scoring average from 13.8 points to 19.1 with Greg Monroe gone, and the league's No. 2 rebounder the past two seasons has upped his average on the boards from 13.5 to an NBA-best 18.9.

"You never see a gap like that," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "He's six rebounds ahead of the next guy. Six rebounds a game! They were giving him a hard time in the locker room (after Tuesday's 104-99 win over Cleveland) because he only had 18. He was below his average. ... It's pretty phenomenal what he's done to this point."

As impressive as his point and rebound totals are, his underlying impact on the Pistons (6-5) has been off the charts. When Drummond is on the court, Detroit is outscoring its opponents by 6.1 points per 100 possessions. In the 122 minutes he's sat, the Pistons have been outscored by 24.0 points per 100.

Drummond's also committing fewer fouls per game despite seeing his minutes rise from an average of 30.5 to 37.4.

"Improved maturity and intelligence," Van Gundy said. "He's played a lot smarter. He's been more solid and disciplined in what he's doing. That's an improvement and a maturity."

The Pistons lost the final four games of their six-game trip out west before beating the Cavaliers, but they might find the Target Center atmosphere slightly more welcoming. Minnesota is 0-5 at home, where it's allowing 109.8 points per game - 11.1 more than it's surrendering on the road.

Somehow, though, the Timberwolves have consistently had the Pistons' number in recent years. No team has won fewer games over the last five seasons than Minnesota, but it's won all 10 meetings with Detroit by an average of 12.6 points.

Drummond has fouled out in two of the last three against the Wolves.

Though going toe to toe with Towns won't be easy, Drummond should be relieved Nikola Pekovic isn't quite ready to make his season debut as he recovers from an Achilles injury. Pekovic averaged 20.3 points in the last seven meetings with Detroit.

This one could come down to Minnesota's second unit. The Timberwolves' 44.5 bench points per game are second in the league and 25.1 more than the Pistons' NBA-worst 19.4.

Preview: Knicks (6-6) at Thunder (7-5)

Date: November 20, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Oklahoma City Thunder look like they'll be without Kevin Durant for at least one more game. Given Russell Westbrook's play of late and their success at home against the New York Knicks, they probably won't miss him.

Westbrook can register a third consecutive 40-point performance Friday night when the Thunder take on a Knicks team looking to win three in a row for the first time in 10 months.

Durant has missed the last four games after straining his hamstring in Washington on Nov. 10. He's listed as doubtful for this one, with a return Sunday against Dallas more likely.

The Thunder (7-5) have split the four games he's missed and avoided a third straight loss by beating New Orleans 110-103 on Wednesday in the opener of a three-game homestand.

Westbrook had 43 points, nine rebounds and eight assists after scoring 40 with 14 assists in a 122-114 loss at Memphis on Monday. He made 27 of 44 shots (61.4 percent) in those games after shooting 31.0 percent (13 for 42) in the first two without Durant.

'Obviously, Russell had another really efficient game,' coach Billy Donovan said. 'He did some very, very good things.'

Westbrook scored 12 of the Thunder's final 15 points Wednesday and is on the verge of three straight 40-point efforts for the second time in his career. He scored 40, 49 and 43 from Feb. 27-March 5.

'It's just attack mode,' said Westbrook, averaging 28.1 points after winning the scoring title last season with that same mark. 'Regardless of who is there, I know I'm kind of able to get in the paint and kind of disrupt the defense. My job is to be able to attack and take what the defense gives me.'

He had one of his 15 career 40-point games last season in New York, scoring 40 in a 100-92 loss in January. Westbrook also scored 32 on 12-of-17 shooting in a 105-78 rout last November that improved the Thunder to 6-1 all-time in the series in Oklahoma City.

Carmelo Anthony didn't play in that one due to back spasms and had 31 points to pace the Knicks in the matchup at Madison Square Garden. He's leading New York (6-6) with 23.1 points per game this season, but rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis has received the most buzz.

The No. 4 overall pick is coming off a season-best 29 points while also grabbing 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double in Tuesday's 102-94 home win over Charlotte.

'It's just one game. I want to keep doing this. Melo is doing this for every game,' Porzingis said. 'So the easy part is to play one game like that, the hard part to keep playing at this level.'

Porzingis is among the rookie leaders with 12.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game for an improved Knicks team that didn't win its sixth game last season until their 42nd game on Jan. 19 - the start of its last three-game run.

'Whether or not he'll ever be able to do this nightly we don't know at this point, but because of the combination of skills and abilities at some point it's all going to come together,' coach Derek Fisher said. 'One night like tonight and then in a couple of weeks maybe there will be another night like tonight, but you could see he's getting more comfortable each game.'

Preview: Rockets (5-7) at Grizzlies (6-6)

Date: November 20, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

A jolting coaching change provided the Houston Rockets an immediate spark, much like the one the Memphis Grizzlies received from a recent trade.

After winning their debut under J.B. Bickerstaff, the Rockets head to Memphis on Friday night to take on a Grizzlies team that has yet to lose since acquiring Mario Chalmers.

In need of a wake-up call following a disappointing 4-7 start, the Rockets got one when Kevin McHale was fired on Wednesday, six months after leading the club to the Western Conference finals. The players, some of whom took blame for the sudden decision, responded with perhaps their most inspired effort of the season that night to rally for a 108-103 overtime win over Portland.

James Harden shook off his own early season struggles to amass 45 points and 11 assists, and Corey Brewer scored 13 of his 16 in the fourth quarter - the final three on a 30-footer with 0.9 seconds remaining that forced overtime.

"If that shot changes the season around, I'm happy to make it, but now it's time to start winning," Brewer said.

Though Bickerstaff made one notable lineup change, inserting Jason Terry as a starter in place of the slumping Ty Lawson, Harden made the biggest difference in a game the Rockets trailed by 17 late in the third quarter. Last season's NBA MVP runner-up recorded 17 points in the fourth and all of Houston's nine in overtime.

"Our guys were down, but for us to show perseverance, show fight, show the grit, toughness and togetherness speaks volumes," Bickerstaff said.

Harden's up-and-down play has mirrored Houston's rocky start. He's averaged 39.8 points and shot 44.4 percent in the five wins, compared to 20.9 and 30.2 percent in the seven defeats.

"Making shots or missing shots, I've got to get my game where it needs to be to get this team where it wants to go," he said. "Picking my energy up (Wednesday) was the beginning of it."

Memphis (6-6) had been sputtering as well prior to obtaining Chalmers in a four-player trade with Miami on Nov. 10. The two-time NBA champion has thrived with his new team, averaging 18.0 points and going 7 of 12 from 3-point range in three games - all victories.

Chalmers made his biggest impact in Wednesday's 122-114 home win over Oklahoma City, tallying 29 points in 23 minutes for the highest-scoring output by a reserve in the league this season.

The eight-year veteran's play has made him an ironic fan favorite in a city he was once reviled for his memorable buzzer-beating 3-pointer that forced overtime in the 2008 national championship game, won by Chalmers' Kansas Jayhawks over the University of Memphis.

"The sky's the limit for this team and it always has been. I just try to bring what I can bring to the team," Chalmers said. "Just try to learn from everybody and make sure we keep winning."

Memphis is averaging 112.3 points and shooting 46.9 percent since the trade, compared to 90.2 points and 39.9 percent before it happened. Chalmers isn't the only one who has helped boost that production. Mike Conley has averaged 21.0 points in the last two games - he was previously at 12.5 - and Jeff Green has averaged 20.5 in two games since moving into a starter's role.

The Grizzlies are 5-0 when Green reaches double figures.

These teams split four 2014-15 meetings as well as two matchups at FedExForum. Harden averaged 19.3 points, his lowest number against a West foe last season.