1 p.m., American Airlines Center Where to Watch: Fox Sports NorthWhere to Listen: 830 WCCO
The Minnesota Timberwolves are hoping to make it four wins in a row on Sunday afternoon against the Dallas Mavericks. Coincidentally, the Mavericks were the team that started the winning streak for the Wolves.
The Wolves go into the game with a 14-26 record, 12th in the West. The Mavericks are 12-27, tied for 14th in the West.
A few tidbits going into Sunday afternoon’s game:
- In his last three games, Wolves point guard Ricky Rubio is averaging 12.3 points, 15.3 assists and 3.3 steals per game.
- This is the start of a three-game road trip for the Wolves.
- Dirk Nowitzki is having the worst statistical season since his rookie year in 1998-99. The future Hall of Famer is averaging 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Nowitzki is playing just 24.6 minutes per game, down more than 10 from his career average.
Coming Off Of…
The Wolves are coming off a 96-86 home win over the Thunder on Friday night. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 29 points, 17 rebounds, three blocks and a steal. Andrew Wiggins added 19 points and six rebounds. Rubio was wheeling and dealing, finishing with 14 points, 14 assists and four steals. Brandon Rush started his second straight game and finished with 11 points, nine coming from the 3-point line.
The Mavericks are coming off a 113-108 road win over the Suns on Thursday. Deron Williams led the way with 23 points and 12 assists. Harrison Barnes added 22 while Wesley Matthews and Nowitzki scored 18 each. Seth Curry and Dwight Powell scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Last Matchup
The teams last faced off on Monday at the Target Center. The Wolves came away with a 101-92 win behind 34 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks from Towns. Wiggins and Rubio had 13 points each, while Rubio had 15 assists. Gorgui Dieng added 12 points while Shabazz Muhammad led the second unit with 11 points.
Key Matchup: Karl-Anthony Towns vs. Harrison Barnes
With Andrew Bogut dealing with a hamstring injury, there’s a chance we could see Barnes on Towns.
Towns has been a stud in his second season, averaging career highs of 21.9 points, 12 rebounds and three rebounds per game. In five career games against Dallas, Towns is averaging 18.8 points, 12.8 rebounds and four assists per game.
In his first season as “the guy” for the Mavericks, Barnes is averaging a career-high 20.8 points per game to go with 5.4 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from the 3-point line. In 15 career games against the Wolves, Barnes is averaging 11.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Injuries
Dallas: Andrew Bogut (hamstring) is questionable.
Minnesota: Zach LaVine (hip) is questionable. Nikola Pekovic (ankle) is out.
Projected Starters
Dallas: PG – Williams, SG – Curry, SF – Matthews, PF – Barnes, C - Nowitzki
Minnesota: PG – Rubio, SG – Rush, SF – Wiggins, PF – Dieng, C – Towns