7 p.m., Target Center Where to Watch: Fox Sports North Where to Listen: 830 WCCO
The Wolves hope to end a four-game skid on Wednesday night against the Raptors at the Target Center.
Minnesota comes into the game with a 19-33 record, 13th in the West. Toronto is 32-21, third in the East.
A few tidbits going into Wednesday night’s game:
- This is the third of a six-game homestand for the Wolves.
- The Raptors have won five of their last eight games after dropping five straight.
- The Wolves rank 10th in the NBA shooting 46.2 percent from the field. The Raptors are eighth at 46.4 percent.
Coming Off Of…
The Wolves are coming off of a 115-113 home loss to the Heat on Monday night. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Wolves with 35 points and eight rebounds. Andrew Wiggins added 27 points, while Ricky Rubio had a 14-point, 13-assist double-double. Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad finished with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Raptors are coming off of a 118-109 home win over the Clippers on Monday. DeMar DeRozan led the way with 31 points. Kyle Lowry added 24, while Jonas Valanciunas added 21 points and 12 rebounds. Cory Joseph led the bench with 12 points.
Last Matchup
The two teams last faced off on Dec. 8 in Toronto. The Raptors won 124-110 behind 27 points, eight rebounds and five assists from DeRozan. Lowry added 25 points and 11 assists. Valanciunas also added a double-double, scoring 20 points and hauling in 10 rebounds. Joseph and DeMarre Carroll scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Zach LaVine led the Wolves with 29 points. Wiggins added 25 points, while Towns finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Gorgui Dieng finished with 10 points.
Key Matchup: Andrew Wiggins vs. DeMar DeRozan
Chances are Wiggins will be matched up against DeRozan, Toronto’s best scorer.
In his third season, Wiggins is averaging a career-high 22.2 points to go with 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He’s also shooting a career-high 34.3 percent from the 3-point line on 3.5 attempts per game. In five career games against Toronto, Wiggins is averaging 23.4 points and 4.2 rebounds.
DeRozan is averaging a career-high 27.8 points per game and is headed to this third All-Star game this season. He’s shooting 47.1 percent from the field and is making a career-high 7.5 free throws per game. In 14 games against the Wolves, he’s averaging 19.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Injuries
Toronto: Patrick Patterson (knee) is questionable.
Minnesota: Nikola Pekovic (ankle) and LaVine (ACL) are out. Kris Dunn (hand) and Adreian Payne (illness) are questionable.
Projected Starters
Toronto: PG – Lowry, SG – DeRozan, SF – Carroll, PF – Siakam, C - Valanciunas
Minnesota: PG – Rubio, SG – Rush, SF – Wiggins, PF – Dieng, C – Towns