Timberwolves vs. Raptors
5 p.m., Cox Pavilion
Where To Watch: NBATV
The Minnesota Timberwolves will look to capture their first win of the 2016 Summer League against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday evening.
It’s the second game of a three-game preliminary schedule for both teams.
A few tidbits going into Sunday evening’s game:
- This one really isn’t about the matchup, but did you know DeMar DeRozan played in two Summer Leagues? I know we are hard on players who play more than one year, thinking maybe they should have already arrived. But from year one to year two in his career, DeRozan jumped from 8.6 points to 17.2 points per game. Of course that had more to do than just Summer League, but just your friendly reminder to stay patient.
- Both teams last played on Friday, so they will be well rested.
- Tyus Jones and Kris Dunn played well together on Friday night. Dunn scored 27 points, but give Jones credit for fitting in at the shooting guard position so seamlessly. Dunn said after the game that Jones was a very “easy to play with."
Last Game:
The Wolves are coming off of an 88-82 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Dunn led the way with 27 points, five rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block. Jones had the game’s only double-double, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Adreian Payne had 17 points, but shot just 6-for-20 from the field.
The Raptors are coming off of an 88-47 blowout win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.
It was a pretty balanced attack as four Raptors hit double digits. Norman Powell led the way with 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists. E.J. Singler and Pascal Saikam added 12 points each, while Bruno Caboclo added 11 points.
Rookie Jakob Poeltl finished with six points, nine rebounds and three blocks in nearly 22 minutes.
Key Matchup: Kris Dunn vs. Normal Powell
After lighting it up in his first game against second-year guard Emmanuel Mudiay, Dunn will go up against another guard who has already spent a year in the NBA.
Powell had a solid first Summer League game and was a solid player for the Raptors in his rookie season. In 49 games, he played 15 minutes per game and averaged 5.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and one assist per game. Those numbers aren’t off the chart, but the fact that he got minutes on a team that advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals is telling.
Dunn’s game starts with his defense, and while Powell might not be as dynamic as Mudiay, he’s still guy who shot 40.4 percent from the 3-point line last season.
Projected Starters:
Raptors: PG- Powell, SG – Wright, SF – Salkam, PF – Caboclo, C - Poeltl
Wolves: PG- Dunn, SG – Jones, SF – Silas, PF – Payne, C - Famous