Entering tonight’s matchup, the Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves in a nearly identical situation as the Sacramento Kings. They’ve won three out of four and two-consecutive games. Minnesota recorded a strong fourth quarter versus the Hawks, holding Atlanta to just five field goals and outscoring their opponent by 10 points in the final frame to earn a solid victory.
In each of Minnesota’s last three wins, the Wolves have outscored their opponent in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the Kings have tallied 30-plus points in the fourth during their last two wins, outscoring opponents by an average of 11 points in the frame.
Minnesota’s success starts in the hands of playmakers Ricky Rubio, who is averaging over nine assists in his past four while Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins combine for nearly 68 points per outing over that same stretch.
In the last meeting between the teams, Sactown trailed by as many as 18 before charging back to complete a comeback at Golden 1 Center. The Kings held Minnesota to just 12 points in the third quarter, proving key in the victory.
Avoiding a slow start will be key for the Kings as early-game woes have forced them to play from behind in recent games. Ty Lawson will be looking to build off impressive recent play, averaging 12 points on 55-percent shooting in the team’s last five contests.
Key Matchup
DeMarcus Cousins is just a few games removed from dropping 55 points on the Blazers. Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns recently posted an impressive outing himself, scoring 41 points against the Houston Rockets. With that said, the winner of the battle at center will likely swing the game in his squad’s favor. Cousins held Towns to just 15 points and six boards in their first meeting.
Did You Know?
In each of the past two years, the winner of the first meeting ended up sweeping the season series between these two teams.
Broadcast Information
The game will be streamed online at Comcast SportsNet California. Fans can also tune into the action on NBA TV, Sports 1140 KHTK Radio and the Sacramento Kings + Golden 1 Center App. Follow Kings.com with live updates and postgame content on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook.
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