Does Tuesday’s matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets even actually matter?

Ought to we listen, or are we simply using the excessive from Monday’s 114-104 win over the Utah Jazz, and The Dunk™ ? Sure? Okay, sounds good.

The Wolves head into Tuesday’s battle with their fellow Western Convention ringleader within the Nuggets beneath lower than preferrred circumstances.

In a earlier life, the Wolves would head into the night with a leg up in frontcourt measurement towards a Denver group boasting Aaron Gordon and probably soon-to-be three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. Nonetheless, with Karl-Anthony Cities out, Rudy Gobert trying like he could miss his third straight sport with a rib sprain, and Naz Reid getting banged up with a head harm that triggered him to overlook the second half of final night time’s bout in Salt Lake Metropolis, that benefit may probably flip to an enormous drawback on the snap of a finger.

Add a relaxation benefit for Denver group — coming off a buzzer-beater loss in Dallas on Sunday — to the combo as effectively, and there’s a mighty sturdy present Minnesota must swim towards.

Recreation Data

• Who: Minnesota Timberwolves (47-21) vs Denver Nuggets (47-21)
• When: Tuesday, March 19 at 8:00 PM CT
• The place: Goal Heart – Minneapolis, Minnesota
• TV: Bally Sports activities North (Michael Grady and Jim Petersen)
• Radio: Wolves App, iHeart Radio, KFAN 100.3 FM
• Line: Nuggets -7 | Whole: 214.5 (courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Damage Report

Up to date as of Tuesday, March 19 at 6:30 PM CT

Minnesota:

GAME-TIME DECISION:

• Anthony Edwards (left center finger dislocation/sprain)
• Rudy Gobert (left rib sprain)

OUT:

• Jaylen Clark (proper achilles tendon rupture rehab)
• Naz Reid (head harm)
• Karl-Anthony Cities (left meniscus tear)

Denver:

QUESTIONABLE:

• Zeke Nnaji (low again ache)

OUT:

• Vlatko Čančar (left knee surgical procedure)

What To Watch For

Picture by David Berding/Getty Pictures

No Bigs, Massive Issues?

What the hell are the Wolves going to do to have the ability to even reasonably comprise Nikola Jokić and a keen cutter in Aaron Gordon?

With everybody wholesome, Karl-Anthony Cities took the Jokić problem to some success (success is relative throughout the NBA in relation to defending the Joker), and Kyle Anderson did as effectively. However that was with the luxurious of Rudy Gobert being a rover within the paint to have the ability to assist when wanted.

It poses an attention-grabbing query irrespective of which route Gobert heads down. If he’s certainly out for the competition, does Minnesota go the “dying by 1,000 cuts” route and entrance him with Sluggish-Mo, with the intention of making an attempt to show Jokić into a fringe participant? How usually would they double at that time, expose cutters and depart open shooters (as a result of everybody is aware of Jokić will one way or the other discover them)?

If Gobert does certainly go well with up and provides it a go, does he find yourself roving on Aaron Gordon and Anderson takes the first matchup on Jokić in order to restrict the injury performed to his bruised rim? How are the Gobert and Jokić minutes going to be staggered? How does that impression how usually the Anderson-Gobert pairing, which has been largely ineffective on offense, is on the ground collectively? Can we see Luka Garza try and take the duty with Gobert on the ground?

Whichever manner the “who’s wholesome?” pie is sliced, that is simply the only largest query heading into it. For all I do know, a seemingly-non-concussed Naz Reid may find yourself popping out Royal Rumble-style and pour in 30 factors and this might all be moot.

However with out Gobert and Cities on the ground this 12 months, the Wolves are rolling with a defensive ranking of 112.5. I might count on that to be amplified tremendously towards a Denver group that’s on fireplace offensively.

Picture by Harry How/Getty Pictures

Fast Hits

• Chris Finch coached an absolute masterclass in Utah on Monday. The set performs on offense had been excellent for getting move going, and the completely different seems defensively with a small lineup had been simply sufficient. If the bigs aren’t capable of roll, that’s the place your confidence ought to lay.
• Talking of the place your confidence ought to be, we must always all be fairly fairly completely happy that Anthony Edwards is a Minnesota Timberwolf. Identify two higher particular person performances you’ve seen lower than a month from one another between the Indiana sport on March 7 and Monday night time in Utah.
• Jaden McDaniels, somebody who we in all probability all thought could be a beneficiary of Karl-Anthony Cities being out of the lineup, hasn’t scored greater than 15 factors since March 1 towards Sacramento. His final two performances of 15 or extra factors occurred on March 1 and February 15. If profitable with Cities out goes to be sustainable, that needs to be much less rare.

Picture by Alex Goodlett/Getty Pictures

Prop Nook

A pair props I like for Tuesday are under.

All strains, as common are in response to the DraftKings Sportsbook.

THREES: Anthony Edwards o2.5 (+100)

This positively stinks of a entice unfold. Edwards is historically not nice in back-to-backs, and fatigue can typically result in him settling for photographs and leaving them quick. Nonetheless, I’ve zero doubts that the amount will probably be there, and all it takes is considered one of his trademark scoring explosions and this one cashes at even cash. Price it for me.

POINTS: Aaron Gordon o12.5 (-130)

Usually, I don’t love props at this steep of a worth. However a number of consideration goes to be targeted on Gordon’s frontcourt accomplice, and this sport feels quite a bit like one the place Jokic goes to be targeted on distributing. With that…

ASSISTS: Nikola Jokic o8.5 (+105)