Giannis Antetokounmpo battles Rudy Gobert below the basket in yesterday's 102-115 loss. (David Berding/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Timberwolves (4-5) will play at Target Center once again tonight against the Houston Rockets (1-8). The Rockets are currently on a losing streak (L5), as are the Wolves. The Wolves extended that losing streak to 3 with a loss yesterday to the undefeated Milwaukee Bucks, 102-115. While reports before the game left the status of Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert as questionable, the two stars did suit up for the border battle. Edwards dropped a team-high 24, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 22. Jaylen Nowell was the only other Timberwolf in double figures with 13. Despite holding top talent Giannis Antetokounmpo to 41.2% from the field, the Greek Freak still posted a triple double with 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists.
The Timberwolves will hope to capitalize on a weaker opponent tonight in the Houston Rockets, who have already played some of the better teams in the NBA, such as the Suns, Bucks, Hawks, and the (surprising) Utah Jazz. The young Rockets roster will hope to give the Timberwolves a difficult night and will need a strong performance from franchise building block Jalen Green (19.3 ppg) to do just that.
Game Information:
Tip-Off: 8:00pm ET
Location: Target Center in Minneapolis, MN
Follow: Bally Sports North
Injury Report:
MIN: Rudy Gobert, OUT (Health and Safety Protocols)
HOU: Jabari Smith Jr., OUT (Illness); Jae'Sean Tate, OUT (Ankle)
Game Preview:
The Timberwolves entered this season with high expectations after their acquisition of 3-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. However, their 4-5 start to the season against a relatively average strength of schedule has not what many have expected. On the other side, the young (and possibly tanking) Houston Rockets have only posted 1 win.
One of the maligned facets of this Timberwolves team has been their struggle shooting the ball from deep. The Wolves are shooting 31.8% from deep this season, only beating out the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers in that measurement. For reference, the Wolves shot 35.8% from 3-point land last season, good for 12th in the league. However, this Rockets squad may be the perfect opponent to get back on track, as Houston is currently 22nd in the league in defensive rating and have no options that jump off the page to guard talented shooters such as three-point champion Karl-Anthony Towns.
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If the Wolves are able to get out to an early lead, tonight's matchup could also provide a much-needed opportunity for coach Chris Finch to continue to experiment with various lineups, as the offseason personnel changes have forced Finch to explore all the ways he can put his roster on the floor.
Make sure to follow @WolvesDistrict on Twitter to follow tonight's game with live reactions and more!
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