Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their NBA picks and predictions for Sunday, January 25.
Chicago Bulls at Minnesota Timberwolves, 7:05PM ET
The Minnesota Timberwolves began their recent run with wins over some struggling opponents, but have since knocked off two of the NBA's better teams.
They'll look to continue their surprising turnaround on Sunday when they face the stumbling Chicago Bulls for the second time this month.
Since losing 13 straight from Nov. 29-Dec. 23, Minnesota has gone 10-4. It's been particularly strong since the beginning of January, winning eight of its last 10.
The Timberwolves (14-27) opened this month with a five-game winning streak that included a 102-92 victory over the Bulls (18-26) in Chicago on Jan. 3. All five of those wins came against teams with losing records.
The Timberwolves, though, have since beaten a pair of the league's stronger teams, defeating the Phoenix Suns 105-103 on Jan. 16 and New Orleans Hornets 116-108 on Friday for their fifth win in their last six games at the Target Center.
Minnesota had seven players score in double figures against the Hornets and shot 51.3 percent from the field, going 10-of-21 from 3-point range. Al Jefferson and Randy Foye each scored 24 points with Jefferson adding 14 rebounds.
Foye is averaging 20.8 points in the last 10 games after scoring 14.4 in the previous 31. He was 4-of-8 from 3-point range on Friday and also had eight assists.
NBA Free Pick: Minnesota – Best Line: -5 Sports Interaction
Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets, 8:05PM ET
Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko helped lead the Utah Jazz to a season-opening victory over the Denver Nuggets in their most recent matchup.
On Sunday night at the Pepsi Center, the Jazz (25-19) will definitely be without Boozer, and may not have Kirilenko available for a matchup with the Nuggets (28-15).
Boozer, who had 25 points and 14 rebounds in a 98-94 home win on Oct. 29, remains out for at least two more weeks following knee surgery on Jan. 9. Kirilenko, who added 16 points off the bench in that victory, has missed the past two games with an sore right ankle, and his status for Sunday is uncertain.
Utah, which comes in after dropping a 102-97 decision to Cleveland on Saturday, is 3 1/2 games behind Denver and a game in back of Portland in the Northwest Division. The Jazz also enter this game with a 1-7 mark in their last eight away from home.
While Utah has struggled, the Nuggets have played well without their star as Carmelo Anthony has been out since Jan. 7 with a broken right hand.
In his place, though, Linas Kleiza and J.R. Smith have emerged. In Tuesday's 118-99 win over visiting Sacramento, Kleiza scored a season-high 27 points, and Smith had 19 to go with seven rebounds and six assists.
NBA Free Pick: Utah – Best Line: +6.5 Sports Interaction
Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors, 9:05PM ET
After enduring back-to-back last-second defeats, the Golden State Warriors have a final opportunity to conclude their longest homestand of the season successfully on Sunday night as they meet the Pacific Division rival Los Angeles Clippers.
Golden State (13-31) was mired in a five-game losing streak from Dec. 31-Jan. 10, but won three of its first four contests on its seven-game stretch at Oracle Arena. The lone defeat came against Sacramento on Jan. 14, 135-133 in triple-overtime.
The Warriors have dropped their last two contests in a similarly close fashion. LeBron James' 19-footer beat the buzzer to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a 106-105 victory on Friday, two days after Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jeff Green hit a jumper at the final horn to send the Warriors to a 122-121 defeat.
NBA Free Pick: Golden State – Best Line: -10 Sports Interaction