Saturday, Target Center Wolves vs. Bulls, 8:00 p.m.FS North, 830 WCCO
Why you should attend:
The elephant in the room here is the status of Wolves All-Star wing Jimmy
Butler.
Butler injured his knee on Friday night against the Rockets and will get an MRI
on Saturday. We’ll know his status shortly. Nothing but the best wishes for
Butler. Such an incredibly hard-working guy.
It’s an opportunity for Andrew Wiggins to step up. When Butler was out earlier
this season, Wiggins became Minnesota’s go-to scorer. He led the Wolves to a win
over the Raptors, scoring 29 points, without Butler back in January.
1/20/18Andrew Wiggins vs Raptors (36 min)29 points (11-21 FG) (6-6 FT)5 rebounds
3 assists pic.twitter.com/46HdOcQZJv
It’s the first home game for the Wolves since the All-Star Break, and Minnesota
has turned Target Center into one of the hardest places to play at, with the
Wolves having a 24-7 record at home.
The Wolves are hoping to avenge a Feb. 9 loss to the Bulls in Chicago.
It marks the return of Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn to Minnesota. Both were part of
the Butler trade this summer. LaVine, who spent his first three seasons with the
Wolves, is averaging 17.3 points and 4.4 rebound per game while shooting 40.3
percent from the 3-point line. Dunn, who spent just one year with the Wolves, is
averaging 13.3 points, 6.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Minnesota goes into the game with a 36-26 record, fourth in the West. Chicago is
20-38, 12th in the East.
Opposing player I’ll be watching:
LaVine was a fan favorite in Minnesota and the fans will show him lots of love,
even if he is the opponent on this night. The high-flier recovered from a torn
ACL he suffered last season and has played 25.8 minutes per game in 15 contests
this season. In those 15 games, he’s eclipsed the 20-point mark six times and
the 30-point mark once.
Injuries:
Bulls: Paul Zipser (foot) is doubtful.
Wolves: Butler (knee) is doubtful.
Starting Lineups:
Bulls: PG – Dunn, SG – LaVine, SF, Nwaba, PF – Markkanen, C – Felicio
Wolves: PG – Teague, SG – Wiggins, SF – Bjelica, PF – Gibson, C – Towns
Player: Nemanja Bjelica
Player: Jimmy Butler
Player: Taj Gibson
Player: Jeff Teague
Player: Karl-Anthony Towns
Player: Andrew Wiggins
Player: Kris Dunn
Player: Cristiano Felicio
Player: Zach LaVine
Player: Lauri Markkanen
Player: David Nwaba
Player: Paul Zipser
Media Content:
http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/scouting-report-wolves-bulls-2-24-2018
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Minnesota Timberwolves, Nemanja Bjelica, Jimmy
Butler, Taj Gibson, Jeff Teague, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Kris Dunn,
Cristiano Felicio, Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, David Nwaba, Paul Zipser,
Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves
Media Thumbnail:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/drp/nba/timberwolves/sites/default/files/sr-2-24-2018.jpg
Taxonomy: Scouting Report
Story Link:
http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/scouting-report-wolves-bulls-2-24-2018
