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Utah is coming off its best “toughness” win of the month, rallying past Minnesota even without Lauri Markkanen. San Antonio is in a different spot. The Spurs are still near the top of the West, but their coach wants more edge after a physical loss in Houston and a rough shooting night from Victor Wembanyama. This is the second meeting in four days. San Antonio handled Utah at home Monday, and now the Jazz get the rematch in Salt Lake City with a chance to take the season series. San Antonio is still the more complete team, but the recent 5-5 stretch tells you the floor has dipped when the physicality turns up and the shots do not fall. The

Chicago rolls into Minneapolis with real confidence after tying a franchise record with 25 made threes, and Coby White’s rhythm has changed the Bulls’ scoring ceiling over the last week. When White is hunting early and the ball is moving, Chicago can hang in games that look overpriced on paper. Minnesota is in the opposite spot. The Timberwolves have dropped three straight and just coughed up a double-digit fourth-quarter lead to Utah, even with Anthony Edwards producing at a star level since returning from the foot issue. Injury Report: Josh Giddey is questionable for Chicago. Edwards has been playing through foot maintenance, but he’s been explosive offensively. The Bulls have started to stack wins because the offense has finally found

The Clippers get the Lakers again in the building where their turnaround started, and the handicap is built around pace and legs. L.A. has played its best ball lately when the defense is connected and the half-court execution stays clean, but the last game showed what happens when fatigue hits and the rotations are late. The Lakers enter with Luka Doncic in rhythm and a real focus on defense after flipping the script late in Denver. The issue is availability around him. Austin Reaves remains out, and that matters for secondary creation and spacing when the Clippers load up. Kawhi Leonard is the swing piece. If he’s in, the Clippers’ scoring ceiling and late-game shot quality jump. If he’s out,

Portland enters this one at .500, but the locker room tone says they aren’t treating it like a finish line. The Trail Blazers have won 10 of their last 13 and they’ve been closing games with defense, pace, and a next-man-up rotation that keeps producing. Miami brings momentum too after lighting up Sacramento from three. If the Heat are stretching the floor like that, the game changes, because Portland’s surge has leaned on getting stops and then scoring before defenses are set. The availability layer matters for Portland. Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant are both questionable, and that directly impacts Portland’s ball security, perimeter defense, and late-game scoring options. Miami’s best version is when the pace is real and the