Julian AndrewsWeb Editorial AssociateTwitter
Friday, American Airlines CenterWolves at Mavericks, 7:30 p.m.Fox Sports North,
WCCO
Why you should watch:
The Wolves have moved up to seventh in the West. They are just a half game
behind the sixth-place Pelicans. We’ve said it many times over the last few
weeks, but it’s still true: Every. Game. Matters.
Karl-Anthony Towns will be following up on a record-breaking performance against
the Hawks. Wolves fans should be paying attention to Towns every minute he’s on
the floor. You never know when he’s going to do something truly special.
Wolves fans are understandably impressed by Towns’ performance, but Towns
himself is still far more concerned with making the playoffs. The Wolves will
need to stay sharp tonight against a Mavericks team that has an unimpressive
record but still boasts a lot of talent–including certain Hall-of-Famer Dirk
Nowitzki.
The Timberwolves are 3-0 against the Mavericks this year. The last time the two
teams met, Towns led the Wolves with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
The Mavericks are in 13th place in the Western Conference, with a record of
23-52.
Opposing player I’ll be watching:
League-wide talk about Dennis Smith Jr. has quieted somewhat in the face of the
brilliance of fellow rookies Donovan Mitchell and Ben Simmons, but Smith
undeniably has a bright future in the NBA.
Dennis Smith Jr. 360! #MFFL #NBARooks pic.twitter.com/r8aDpy9yCj
Yeah. The man can play. Smith is averaging 15.2 points and five assists on
39.3-percent shooting from the field. He’ll need to get that shooting percentage
up, but so many rookies come into the league with their shot needing work.
Smith has great size and athleticism for his position, and it’s easy to imagine
him as a starting NBA point guard for many years to come. Here’s one more
highlight:
Dennis Smith Jr…unlimited bounce pic.twitter.com/BU8w0ASCSl
Injuries:
Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki (knee) and Dwight Powell (knee) are probable.
Wolves: Jimmy Butler (knee) and Derrick Rose (ankle) are out.
Starting Lineups:
Mavericks: PG – Smith, SG – Ferrell, SF – Barnes, PF – Nowitzki, C – Kleber
Wolves: PG – Teague, SG – Wiggins, SF – Butler, PF – Gibson, C – Towns
Player: Karl-Anthony Towns
Media Content:
http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/scouting-report-wolves-mavericks-1
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Minnesota Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns, Dallas
Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves
Media Thumbnail:
http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/sites/timberwolves/files/mavs.jpg
Story Link:
http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/scouting-report-wolves-mavericks-1
