Timberwolves vs. Pelicans | 7:00 p.m.
Where To Watch: No TV
Where to Listen 830 WCCO
The Wolves have the chance to play spoiler on Monday night against the Pelicans.
New Orleans and the Oklahoma City Thunder both sit at 43-37 with three games remaining on the schedule. But New Orleans holds the tie-breaker.
If the Pelicans win on Monday against the Wolves and the Thunder fall (without Russell Westbrook) to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Pelicans will clinch the eighth seed in the West.
In its second-to-last home game this season, Minnesota will try to prevent that.
The Wolves sit at 16-64 overall, tied with the New York Knicks for the worst record in the league.
LAST MEETING
The two teams last faced off on March 29 in New Orleans. The Pelicans came away with a 110-88 win behind 28 points and nine rebounds from Anthony Davis. Fellow big man Omer Asik added 15 points, while Eric Gordon scored 12. Quincy Pondexter, Norris Cole and Alexis Ajinca finished with 10 points each. The Pelicans shot an impressive 57.3 percent from the field.
Andrew Wiggins led Minnesota with 20 points, while fellow rookie Zach LaVine put up 17. Adreian Payne had his third career double-double, scoring 14 points while hauling in 11 rebounds. Justin Hamilton and Chase Budinger scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, off the bench.
THIS WEEK’S RESULTS
The Wolves have dropped 10 straight games. The last came on Saturday night in Golden State. The Warriors won 110-101 despite a career-high 37 points from LaVine. LaVine was 13-of-21 from the field, 6-of-10 from deep and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. He was also just one rebound away from a double-double. Wiggins added 17 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Kevin Martin, Hamilton and Budinger scored 12 points each.
The Pelicans are coming off of a 121-114 road loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. A positive for the Pelicans is that seven players scored 13 points or more. Davis led that group with 27. Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson led the bench with 17 and 15 points, respectively. Asik, Pondexter and Gordon scored 13 points each, while Tyreke Evans scored 12.
KEY MATCHUP: MINNESOTA’S FRONTLINE VS. ANTHONY DAVIS
The Wolves will try to do something tonight that not many have been able to do this season: Stop Anthony Davis.
Davis is an MVP candidate with averages of 24.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 2.2 assists per game (all career-highs). He’s also shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 80.2 percent from the free-throw line.
One players he’s gotten comparisons to throughout his career is Minnesota’s own Kevin Garnett. That’s certainly not a bad player to be compared to.
In three games against Minnesota, Davis is averaging 23.7 points and 8.3 rebounds.
Pelicans: Anthony Davis (throat) and Jrue Holiday (leg) are probable.
Wolves: Anthony Bennett (ankle), Gorgui Dieng (concussion), Shabazz Muhammad (finger), Gary Neal (ankle), Nikola Pekovic (Achilles) and Ricky Rubio (ankle) are out. Kevin Garnett (knee) is doubtful. Robbie Hummel (back) is questionable.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Pelicans: PG – Evans, SG – Gordon, SF – Pondexter, PF – Davis, C - Asik
Wolves: PG – LaVine, SG – Martin, SF — Wiggins, PF – Payne, C – Hamilton