7:00 p.m., Target Center
Where to Watch: Fox Sports North
Where to Listen: 830 WCCO
The Minnesota Timberwolves are hoping to snap a two-game post-All-Star losing streak on Monday night against the Boston Celtics.
The Wolves go into the game with a 17-39 record, good for 13th in the West. The Celtics play on Sunday night in Denver, so the energy might be down.
Coming Off Of…
The Wolves are coming off of a 103-96 home loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday night. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrwe Wiggins finished with 24 points each. Shabazz Muhammad led the second unit with 20 points, while Zach LaVine pitched in 14. Ricky Rubio had a game-high 16 assists.
The Celtics play on Sunday on the road against the Denver Nuggets. We will update accordingly.
Last Matchup:
The two teams last faced off on Dec. 21 in Boston. The Celtics came away with a 113-99 win thanks to six players scoring 12 or more points. Kelly Olynyk led the way with 19 points. Jae Crowder pitched in 18 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Zeller led the second unit with 14 points and eight rebounds. David Lee and Avery Bradley scored 13 points each, while Jonas Jerebko added 12.
Andrew Wiggins led the Wolves with 26 points. Karl-Anthony Towns added 25 points and 16 rebounds. Zach LaVine led the bench with 17 points, while Gorgui Dieng scored 12.
Key Matchup: Ricky Rubio vs. Isaiah Thomas
It’s the battle of a pass-first point guard and a shoot-first point guard.
Ricky Rubio is having a solid season, averaging 9.6 points, a career-high 8.8 assists to go with 2.2 steals.
Rubio has only played four career games against the Celtics and he’s averaging 5.5 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
Thomas is having a career-year, averaging 21.6 points and 6.6 assists. He is, however, shooting a career-low 34.7 percent from the 3-point line.
In 13 career games against the Wolves, Thomas is averaging 16.2 points and 5.2 assists.
Injuries:
Boston: Avery Bradley (knee) is questionable. Marcus Smart (thumb) is probable. Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) is out.
Minnesota: Kevin Martin (wrist) is probable. Kevin Garnett (knee) and Nikola Pekovic (foot) are doubtful. Nemanja Bjelica (foot) is out.
Projected Starters:
Boston: PG- Thomas, SG – Bradley, SF – Crowder, PF – Johnson, C – Sullinger
Minnesota: PG- Rubio, SG- Wiggins, SF- Prince, PF- Towns, C – Dieng
