Julian Andrews Web Editorial AssociateTwitter
Wednesday, Target Center Hawks at Wolves, 7:00 p.m. Fox Sports North, WCCO
Why you should watch:
The Wolves need a win.
Hopefully, Minnesota’s loss to the Grizzlies served as a wakeup call. The Wolves
will have another chance Wednesday night to take it to a team with a far
inferior record. The Wolves are in eighth place in the West, the Hawks are last
in the East.
Minnesota lost in Atlanta 105-100 in January, so the Wolves will also be looking
for a bit of revenge. However, it’s worth noting that Kent Bazemore, who was the
leading scorer for the Hawks in that game, has since been shut down for the
season.
The Western Conference playoff race is still extraordinarily close, and every
win matters. Hopefully the Wolves can put their disappointing performance
against Memphis behind them and come away with a victory.
Opposing player I’ll be watching:
John Collins, the Hawks’ bouncy, athletic rookie forward, has not developed a
polished offensive game, but it’s looking like he’s going to be a productive
player in the NBA.
John Collins skies high for the @ATLHawks alley-oop!#TrueToAtlanta heads to the
locker room up 51-43 on #DubNationWATCH on #NBA League Pass
pic.twitter.com/7WHVrGrK5K
His athleticism has helped Collins lead the Hawks in blocks this season. But he
will have his hands full with the Wolves’ experienced frontcourt of Taj Gibson
and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Though Collins’ role with the Hawks has been somewhat limited, his
per-36-minutes numbers are solid: 16.1 points, 11 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and
58.4-percent shooting from the field. Though I’ll certainly be rooting against
his team, it’s always fun to watch young players when they come to town. I’ll be
keeping an eye on Collins.
Injuries:
Hawks: Kent Bazemore (knee), Malcolm Delaney (ankle), DeAndre’ Bembry (abdomen),
Antonius Cleveland (ankle), and Dennis Schroder (ankle) are out. John Collins
(ankle) is probable.
Wolves: Jimmy Butler (knee) and Derrick Rose (ankle) will not play.
Starting Lineups:
Hawks: PG – Taylor, SG – Lee, SF – Prince, PF – Collins, C – Dedmon
Wolves: PG – Teague, SG – Wiggins, SF – Bjelica, PF – Gibson, C – Towns
Media Content:
http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/scouting-report-wolves-hawks-3-28-2018
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota
Timberwolves
Media Thumbnail:
http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/sites/timberwolves/files/gettyimages-911957920.jp
g
Story Link:
http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/scouting-report-wolves-hawks-3-28-2018
