Coming off of a tough loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the Timberwolves will be back in action on Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors.
Minnesota will hopefully have all of their starters back in the rotation, as it was without Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio and Kevin Garnett in Tuesday’s game.
Playing at home hasn’t been a great thing for the Wolves so far this year as they have gone winless in three games.
The reigning NBA Champions will arrive in Minneapolis just hours after taking on the Memphis Grizzlies. It will not be an easy task, but playing the undefeated Warriors in the second-game of a back-to-back is definitely a plus.
A couple of things to keep in mind going into Thursday’s matchup:
A tough home loss on the end of a back-to-back. The crippled Wolves fought hard on Tuesday night but came up short against the Hornets, which leaves them at a 4-3 record. Tyus Jones saw his first action of the season, Adreian Payne played solid minutes, and Zach LaVine showed glimpses of brilliance but ended the game with eight turnovers.
**The Warriors will travel to Memphis on Wednesday to take on the Grizzlies.**
The two teams last competed against one another on April 11th and the night ended in a Warriors victory. LaVine put up 37 points on 13-for-21 shooting, but he unfortunately couldn’t stop Curry who dropped 34 points.
The Wolves were out rebounded 50 to 40 and gave up a total of 13 offensive boards.
Klay Thompson didn’t shoot particularly well, shooting just10-for-25, thanks to a solid effort from Wiggins who put in 17 points and dropped nine assists.
“Two years ago when Tom Thibodeau, it was his first year (coaching) with team USA, after their first week of practices I called him and we were talking,” Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford said. “So I said what things surprised you, and the first thing he said was, ‘I knew Steph was really good, but he’s by far the best shot-maker in our league.’ He gets better every year. His shot quickness and stuff is just ridiculous to watch.
Any time you are going against a player who is deemed the best shot-maker in the league, you know it’s going to be challenge. Rubio has played extremely well on both sides of the ball this year, averaging 13 points, nine assists and 2.3 steals a game. Assuming Rubio’s knee is healthy, this should be a fun battle to watch.
Warriors: Kevin Looney (hip) is out.
Wolves: Wiggins (knee) and Rubio (knee) are probable, while Nikola Pekovic (Achilles) is out.
Warriors: PG- Curry, SG- Thompson, SF- Barnes, PF- Green, C- Ezeli
Wolves: PG- Rubio, SG- Wiggins, SF- Prince, PF- Garnett, C- Towns
