7:00 p.m., Target Center
Where to Watch: Fox Sports North
Where to Listen: 830 WCCO
The Wolves are hoping to bounce back from Saturday’s home loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday night against the Phoenix Suns. Minnesota was able to get Sunday off for rest, while Phoenix did not play on Sunday.
Minnesota goes into the game with a 24-49 record, good for 13th in the West. The Suns are behind the Wolves in the West, sitting at 20-53, 14th overall.
A few tidbits going into tonight’s game:
After being waived by the Indiana Pacers, Chase Budinger was picked up by the Suns. In nine games with the Suns, Budinger is averaging 3.3 points and 2.1 points per game while shooting just 20 percent from the 3-point line.
This is the final matchup between the two teams. The Suns are 2-1 so far against the Wolves.
It gets overlooked, but Wolves big man Gorgui Dieng has had himself a great season, averaging 10 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while shooting a career-high 53.2 percent from the field and 82.8 percent on three free-throw attempts per game.
Coming Off Of…
The Wolves are coming off of a 93-84 home loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. Ricky Rubio led the way with 23 points, six assists, five rebounds, four steals and a block. Karl-Anthony Towns added 14 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Andrew Wiggins also added 13 points.
The Suns are coming off of a close 102-99 home loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday night. Devin Booker led the Suns with 21 points, but shot just 8-for-20 from the field. Brandon Knight added 19 points, while Mirza Teletovic led the bench with 17 points and nine rebounds. Alex Len had a solid game, finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds. Phoenix shot a miserable 7-for-31 (22.6 percent) from the 3-point line.
Last Matchup:
The two teams last faced off on March 14 in Phoenix. The Suns came away with a 107-104 win thanks to a game-winning, off-balanced 3-pointer from Teletovic. He led the second unit with 21 points and eight rebounds. P.J. Tucker added 23 points and 12 rebounds. Booker and Tyson Chandler finished with 16 and 14 points, respectively.
Zach LaVine led the Wolves with 28 points, hitting 10 of 15 shots. Wiggins added 22. Rubio was fantastic, scoring 13 points while dishing out 17 assists. Towns and Dieng combined for 29 points and 19 rebounds. Shabazz Muhammad led the second unit with 10 points.
Key Matchup: Ricky Rubio vs. Brandon Knight
Rubio has been fantastic in March, averaging 13.4 points, 8.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 13 games. Most importantly, he’s shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from the 3-point line and 92.7 percent from the free-throw line. On the season, Rubio is averaging 10.5 points, 8.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and more than two steals per contest.
In 12 career games against the Suns, the Spaniard is averaging 11.4 points and 8.8 assists.
Knight is the main offensive weapon for the Suns, although he’s shooting just 41.3 percent from the field, his lowest since his second season in the league. He’s averaging a career-high 19.4 points to go with 5.1 assists and four rebounds per game. He’s a threat from the outside, hitting 2.2 3-pointers per game.
In 11 career games against the Wolves, Knight is averaging 15 points per game.
Injuries:
Phoenix: Eric Bledsoe (knee) and T.J. Warren (ankle) are out for the season. Chandler (back) and Jon Leuer (illness) are questionable.
Minnesota: Nikola Pekovic (foot) and Kevin Garnett (knee) are both out.
Projected Starters:
Phoenix: PG- Knight, SG – Jenkins, SF – Booker, PF- Tucker, C – Len
Minnesota: PG- Rubio, SG- LaVine, SF- Wiggins, PF- Dieng, C- Towns
