Mitchell HansenWeb Editorial AssociateTwitter
8 p.m., Talking Stick Resort Arena Where to Watch: Fox Sports North Plus Where to Listen: 830 WCCO
The Minnesota Timberwolves look to win their third straight game on Tuesday night in Arizona when they take on the Phoenix Suns at 8 p.m.
The Wolves come in at 16-28 overall and in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Suns are 15-29 on the season and are in 13th place in the Western Conference.
Some tidbits entering Tuesday’s game:
- The Wolves have won five of their last seven games entering Tuesday’s game, including winning their last two contests.
- The Suns come in winners in five of their last 10 games and are also riding a two-game winning streak.
- The Wolves are on a one-game road trip before returning home for a three-game homestand.
Coming Off Of…
Minnesota is coming off of a 111-108 win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday in Minneapolis.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 32 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks to lead the Wolves. Andrew Wiggins had 24 points, four rebounds and four assists, Shabazz Muhammad had 20 points and five rebounds, Kris Dunn had 10 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and three steals, Tyus Jones had nine points and four assists, and Nemanja Bjelica added eight points and four rebounds.
Phoenix is coming off of a 115-103 win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday in Toronto.
Eric Bledsoe went off for 40 points, 13 assists and six rebounds to lead the Suns. Devin Booker had 20 points and four rebounds, Tyson Chandler had 16 points and nine rebounds, Brandon Knight had 12 points, and PJ Tucker had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Last Matchup
The Wolves own a 2-0 series advantage over the Suns this season. The last matchup came on Dec. 19 at Target Center, with the Wolves winning 115-108.
In that game, Towns had 28 points and 15 rebounds, Wiggins had 26 points and four rebounds, Zach LaVine had 23 points and four rebounds, Gorgui Dieng had 10 points and nine rebounds, and Ricky Rubio had eight points and 12 assists for Minnesota.
For Phoenix, Bledsoe had 27 points, Knight had 21 points and four assists, Booker had 18 points, Jared Dudley had 12 points and Leandro Barbosa had 10 points.
Tuesday’s game is the third and final matchup of the season between the Wolves and Suns.
Key Matchup: Karl-Anthony Towns vs. Tyson Chandler
We all knew that Towns was good, but recently, the second-year big man is on another level.
Chandler, and likely a mix of Marquese Chriss, will get the task of battling against Towns on Tuesday night.
Towns is averaging 22.5 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and 1.5 blocks in his sophomore season. In the last seven games, which the Wolves hold a 5-2 record, he is averaging 28.6 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 blocks and one steal a game.
Chandler, in his 16th NBA season, is averaging 8.5 points and 12.2 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game.
Injuries:
Phoenix: Dragan Bender (ankle) and Dudley (head) are questionable.
Minnesota: Nikola Pekovic (ankle) is out.
Projected Starters
Phoenix: PG – Bledsoe, SG – Booker, SF – Warren, PF – Chriss, C – Chandler
Minnesota: PG – Rubio, SG – LaVine, SF – Wiggins, PF – Dieng, C – Towns