7:00 p.m., Target Center
Where to Watch: No TV
Where to Listen: 830 WCCO
The Minnesota Timberwolves are going into Saturday night’s home game against the Chicago Bulls riding high after an impressive road win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Wolves sit at 15-36, sitting in 13th in the Western Conference.
The Bulls are 27-21, fifth in the East.
A few tidbits going into Saturday night’s game:
- Former Wolves guard and front office member Fred Hoiberg is in his first year coaching the Bulls. His is nearing the end of a seven-game home stretch.
- Wolves guard Zach LaVine has played well of late, scoring 14 or more points in his last six games. This was after combined for just 13 in his previous three games.
- Derrick Rose isn’t what he used to be. The former MVP is averaging a career-low 15.5 points per game while shooting just 25.5 percent from the 3-ponit line.
Coming Off Of…
The Wolves are coming off of a 108-102 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. Andrew Wiggins led the Wolves with 31 points, shooting 12-for-21 from the field, 3-for-5 from the field and 3-for-5 from the 3-point line. Karl-Anthony Towns added 17 points and 12 rebounds. LaVine led the second unit with 17 points. Gorgui Dieng finished with another double-double, scoring 12 points while hauling in 10 rebounds. Ricky Rubio had a solid all-around game, finishing with eight points, seven assists, five rebounds and five steals.
The Bulls play in Denver on Friday night.
Last Matchup:
The Timberwolves and Bulls last played on Nov. 7 in Chicago. The Wolves came away with a 102-93 win in overtime thanks to 31 points from Wiggins. Towns added 17 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Nemanja Bjelica had his best game as a pro, finishing with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists off the bench. He finished shooting 5-for-9 from the field and 2-for-6 from the 3-point line.
Pau Gasol led the Bulls with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Tony Snell led the second unit with 14 points, while Aaron Brooks added 10. Jimmy Butler, Rose and Doug McDermott were limited to 11 points each.
Key Matchup: Karl-Anthony Towns vs. Pau Gasol
This is, of course, assuming that Gasol is playing.
Towns has been great this season, averaging 16.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. He’s failed to reach 10 rebounds just once since Jan. 25 and has hit double digits in scoring in every game since Jan. 15. Rookie of the Year, anyone?
Gasol has fallen off a bit from last season, averaging 16.7 points (down nearly two from last season), but he’s still hauling in 11 rebounds per contest. In 43 career games against the Wolves, Gasol is averaging 18.6 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 53.6 percent from the field.
Injuries:
Chicago: Mike Dunleavy (back), Nikola Mirotic (appendix) and Joakim Noah (shoulder) are out. Butler (knee) and Gasol (hand) are questionable.
Minnesota: Kevin Garnett (knee) and Nikola Pekovic (foot) are doubtful. Kevin Martin (wrist) is questionable.
Projected Starters:
Chicago: PG- Rose, SG – Moore, SF – Snell, PF – Gibson, C - Gasol
Minnesota: PG- Rubio, SG- Wiggins, SF- Prince, PF- Towns, C - Dieng