Mitchell Hansen
Web Editorial Associate
7:00 p.m., Pinnacle Bank Arena, NE
Where to Watch: No TV
Where to Listen: No Radio
Nearing the halfway point in the preseason, the Wolves will play their third preseason on Wednesday night against the Denver Nuggets.
The Wolves are 1-1 after losing their first game of the preseason to Charlotte on Monday. The Nuggets are 2-1, coming off of a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
A few observations going into Wednesday night’s game:
- Third-year guard Zach LaVine leads Minnesota in scoring with 19.5 points per game.
- Shabazz Muhammad is averaging 13 points and 21 minutes in two games off the bench for the Wolves.
- Former Wolves forward Robbie Hummel will face his former team for the first time. After spending part of last season in Italy, Hummel signed a two-year deal with the Nuggets before the season.
- Minnesota native Nate Wolters joined the Nuggets in the offseason. He has not seen any playing time yet this preseason.
Coming Off Of…
The Wolves are coming off of a 98-86 road loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday
LaVine led the way with 30 points, shooting 13-of-20 from the field. Third-year wing Andrew Wiggins added nine points and four rebounds. Shabazz Muhammed had 12 points and five rebounds, Nemanja Bjelica had nine points, and Kris Dunn added six points off the bench.
The Nuggets are coming off of a 124-115 loss to the Lakers on Sunday.
Third-year big man Jusuf Nurkic led the Nuggets with 21 points and 16 rebounds. Danilo Gallinari had 19 points, Will Barton had 15 points, and Emmanuel Mudiay added 14 points and seven assists.
Last Matchup:
The Wolves were 1-3 against the Nuggets last season. The two teams last played on Jan. 6 in Minneapolis. The Nuggets won 78-74, led by Gallinari's 20 points and seven rebounds. Nurkic had 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Denver.
Towns led the Wolves with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Nikola Pekovic had 12 points, Wiggins had 11 points, Ricky Rubio had nine points and seven assists, and Kevin Martin had nine points.
Key Matchup: Karl-Anthony Towns vs. Jusuf Nurkic
It will be a battle of the young, talented big men on Wednesday, when Towns and Nurkic square off.
Towns, a 20-year-old 7-footer, averaged 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds last season in his rookie campaign, which ended in winning Rookie of the Year. He has averaged 12 points and eight rebounds in two preseason games this preseason.
Nurkic, a 22-year-old 7-footer, played in 32 games last year, averaging 8.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He has averaged 18 points and 13.3 rebounds in three preseason games.
Injuries:
Denver: Forward Darrell Arthur (knee) and guard Gary Harris (groin) are out.
Minnesota: Pekovic (ankle) is out.
Projected Starters:
Denver: PG- Mudiay, SG – Barton, SF - Gallinari, PF – Faried, C – Nurkic
Minnesota: PG- Rubio, SG- LaVine, SF- Wiggins, PF- Dieng, C- Towns