The set-up: The 52-12 Golden State Warriors still own the NBA's best record but the team sure looks vulnerable as it heads to Minnesota for a game with the 26-37 Timberwolves. The Warriors turned from a five-game road trip after flying cross country from Atlanta and had their lowest-scoring game of the season on Wednesday, a 99-86 home loss to the Celtics in which they were outscored 27-12 in the fourth quarter. The Warriors now hit the road for two more games, tonight at Minnesota and Saturday at San Antonio, contests which could end up determining homecourt advantage in the Western Conference playoffs. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are just hoping to make the playoffs as an 8-seed, which would mean a series against either Golden State or San Antonio in the first round. Minnesota currently sits 2 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Denver Nuggets, although Minnesota must first pass Dallas and Portland.

Golden State: The travel-weary Warriors are coming to the end of a 13-day stretch in which they will have played eight games. Are tired legs the reason that "Splash Brothers" Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have combined to shoot just 25.4 percent from three-point range in the last six games. Head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged after Wednesday's game that his team was tired, and that the injury to Kevin Durant (knee) is causing the team to lengthen minutes of some of the other players. "We still have the No. 1 seed, but I won't run guys ragged to get it," Kerr told reporters. "We have to manage this stretch right here and get through this week."

Minnesota: The Timberwolves are coming off an impressive 107-91 home win over the LA Clippers on Wednesday, the team's third victory in four games. Minnesota has held each of its last four opponents under 100 points, with the lone loss in that span coming in a 97-90 overtime setback at San Antonio. "I think we're feeling like a team that's playing with confidence," star center Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters. "I don't know what a playoff team feels like, but my wild guess I think we right now are playing with the confidence, with the demeanor of a playoff team. We've got to continue to build. We can still be a playoff team." Towns (24.1 & 12.3) is having a terrific season and so is Wiggins (23.2 & 4.1). Throw in SG LaVine (18.9), power forward Dieng (10. & 8.0) and PG Rubio (9.2 & 8.7 APG), who has recorded double-digit assists in eight of the last 10 games, and most observers wonder how this team is 11 games under .500!

The pick: The Warriors had gone 146 regular season games without losing back-to-back contest when they lost at Chicago on March 2nd but now look to avoid back-to-back losses for the second time in a little more than a week. The T-wolves have won seven of their past 11 games and Tom Thibodeau's defensive approach is finally starting to take hold in his first season with the team. Minnesota has held its past four opponents -- Sacramento, Utah, San Antonio and Los Angeles -- under 100 points. That said, I'm not about to 'bury' the Warriors just yet, especially against the still-underachieving Timberwolves. Make Golden State a 10* play.