The Minnesota Timberwolves (10-8, 5-3 Away), one of the league’s top shooting defenses, are on the road to face the Charlotte Hornets (5-14, 2-6 Home) on Friday. Minnesota topped the Indiana Pacers 115-101 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday, their fifth straight win.
Karl-Anthony Towns was the key player with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. The Timberwolves are 10th in the Western Conference. Charlotte were victorious on Wednesday at Spectrum Center, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 107-101. Terry Rozier had 22 points and six assists, leading the team. The Hornets are the 14th seed in the Eastern Conference.
The teams are meeting for the first time this season. Minnesota and Charlotte split their matchups last season, each team taking one. The Timberwolves got the win in the last meeting 126-120 in overtime at Target Center on February 15. Towns led the Timberwolves with 39 points and 15 rebounds.
Miles Bridges had 28 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists in defeat. The T’Wolves have been led this season by Anthony Edwards and Towns, who are averaging 21.9 and 21.6 points per game, respectively. Both are among the NBA’s top scorers, as Edwards is No. 1 and Towns is first.
Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert is grabbing 12.6 rebounds per game, most in the NBA, and D’Angelo Russell is dishing 6.5 assists (1st).Kelly Oubre Jr.’s 19.1 points per game have powered the Hornets on offense. He is the No. 1 scorer in the NBA. Mason Plumlee is collecting 8.9 rebounds per game, most in the NBA, and Dennis Smith Jr. is distributing 5.7 assists (1st).
Opponents are shooting 44.4% from the field against the Timberwolves, ranking as one of the NBA’s stingiest FG% defenses (3rd).The Timberwolves have struggled in recent games at Spectrum Center, losing eight of the last 10.
Minnesota is pursuing a fifth successive win on the road this season. In the last 10 games, Minnesota is 6-4 with an average margin of +0.7 (114.5-113.8). Charlotte has a 2-8 record over the last 10, allowing 112.9 points per game on average while scoring only 107.2 (-5.7 margin).
TIMBERWOLVES HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Jaylen Nowell: 8.6 | 14.1 | -5.5
Assists per game:
D’Angelo Russell: 8.2 | 6.5 | +1.7
HORNETS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
LaMelo Ball: 31.5 | 22.5 | +9.0
Dennis Smith Jr.: 7.5 | 18.3 | -10.8
Points per game:
LaMelo Ball: 21.5 | 14.5 | +7.0
Rebounds per game:
Nick Richards: 8.8 | 6.8 | +2.0
Assists per game:
Dennis Smith Jr.: 2.5 | 5.7 | -3.2
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Minnesota Timberwolves (-225)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
