Timberwolves vs. Kings | 7:00 PM, Target Center
Where To Watch: Fox Sports North
Where to Listen 830 WCCO
Minnesota needs a win in the worst way against the Sacramento Kings on New Year’s Day. It’s lost nine straight games, and what started as a promising season centered on youth, has spiraled into a rough campaign as injuries continue to wear on the team. Though there have been flashes of the future (Andrew Wiggins and Shabazz Muhammad) amid the losses, the team needs a win to boost its confidence moving forward. That win won’t come easy against Sacramento. Though the Kings don’t boast the most impressive record, they have been downright impressive this year when DeMarcus Cousins is in the lineup. He’s projected to play on New Year’s Day. That could spell trouble for the Wolves.
LAST MEETING
Minnesota fell in its game against the Kings earlier this season as DeMarcus Cousins lifted his squad to a 113-101 win. Cousins finished with 31 points and 18 rebounds on the night as Gorgui Dieng struggled to contain him in the post. A lone bright spot in that game was Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins finished with a career-high 29 points in what was the best performance of his career at the time. Wiggins was aggressive down the stretch and used that game as a springboard toward the rest of the season. It was a relatively close game the last time these two teams met, but a big run after halftime secured the win for the Kings. Minnesota will hope to flip the script this time around.
THIS WEEK’S RESULTS
Minnesota hasn’t won in more than three weeks and started this week off with a tough loss to the Utah Jazz. In that game the Wolves led by 10 in the final frame only to see the Jazz — powered by max-contract player Gordon Hayward — storm back and steal the win. Shabazz Muhammad had one of the best games of his career in the loss and finished with a career-high 30 points. He’s been a pleasant surprise for much of this season and doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. Andrew Wiggins chipped in with 21 points, too. It still wasn’t enough as Hayward and Trey Burke led Utah to the win with 26 points apiece.
Sacramento has also struggled this week. It lost to the Brooklyn Nets to start the week as Mason Plumlee paced the Nets to victory. Rudy Gay played a game-high 38 minutes in the loss and netted an impressive 25 points in the losing effort. DeMarcus Cousins added 24 points and 13 boards for the Kings. Sacramento played the Boston Celtics on New Year’s Eve and the fact its coming off a back-to-back could help the Wolves in the game on New Year’s Day.
KEY MATCHUP: GORGUI DIENG VS. DEMARCUS COUSINS
Flip Saunders called it a matchup centered on survival last time his squad took on the Kings. This time will be no different. DeMarcus Cousins is one of the most dominant big men in the NBA, and in a matchup against Gorgui Dieng, the Wolves should simply hope they can contain Cousins. He is averaging 24.7 points and 12.3 rebounds to go along with 1.6 blocks on the season. There isn’t a realistic scenario in which the Wolves will be able to take the Kentucky alumnus fully out of the game plan. So they will hope to contain him on the low block. Minnesota can’t really expect Dieng to win the low post matchup against the Kings. That said if Dieng can hold his own in the contest, the Wolves should be right in it down the stretch.
Kings: Ramon Sessions (back) is doubtful.
Wolves: Ricky Rubio (ankle), Kevin Martin (wrist) and Nikola Pekovic (ankle) are out.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Kings: PG – Collision, SG – McLemore, SF – Gay, PF – Hollins, C – Cousins
Wolves: PG – LaVine, SG – Wiggins, SF - Muhammad, PF – Young, C – Dieng