Minnesota Timberwolves (35-29, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. Miami Heat (29-32, seventh in the Eastern Conference) Miami; Friday, 8 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Minnesota seeks to keep its three-game win streak intact when the Timberwolves take on Miami.

A potential first round playoff matchup is taking place on Wednesday, March 5 when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Miami Heat at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

That's small consolation for the New Orleans Pelicans, Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns -- three teams that began the year with playoff (and, in the cases of Philadelphia and Phoenix, championship) aspirations and will almost certainly end up in the lottery.

Warriors fans are likely salivating at the thought of what this lineup could look like once forward Jonathan Kuminga returns.  Kuminga has been dealing with an ankle injury and hasn't played since early January against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are on a roll, as they have won eight of their past 10 games to rocket up to the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. As Curry continues to dominate on a nightly basis, Draymond Green dropped an eye-opening take on his longtime teammate's involvement in the GOAT discussion.

The Cavs are on fire once again during one of their best seasons in franchise history and are on the brink of setting another record.

Six teams in the Eastern Conference ... The Heat also had the best win percentage after an All-Star break in NBA history. It led to a 66-16 record, good enough for first in the East and a franchise record for single-season wins. Miami's strong regular ...