Friday will see the No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers travel to the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves, while the No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors await word on the injury status of Jimmy Butler III ...

The Clippers had a commanding home win over the Nuggets on Thursday to go up 2-1 in that series, while Lakers-Timberwolves and Rockets-Warriors will play crucial Game 3s in the coming days.

I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade.