After a heartbreaker to end the homestand in Minneapolis, the Timberwolves are back on the road.
Their two-game road trip begins Wednesday, as they face the Pelicans to complete their back-to-back set. These two teams faced off on Nov. 1, also in New Orleans, and it had its fair share of fireworks.
Between DeMarcus Cousins’ usual antics (in a game where he still scored a game-high 35 points), Anthony Davis’ general two-way brilliance, and some late-game fun from Andrew Wiggins, it was a game that had some usual (exciting) mainstays. But it also featured a two-point showing from leading scorer Karl-Anthony Towns, a night he tried to forget quickly.
But at that point, the Wolves were winning, so that’s all Towns had to talk about.
“This locker room is bumping. We got the confidence. We have the swag,” Towns told the Star Tribune in New Orleans after their win “But it’s about doing it night in and night out. Obviously, we’ve got to keep it going 82 games, got to keep scratching it out.”
This game might be trickier for the Wolves, however. The Wolves had a day of rest under them the last time they faced off, and the Pelicans had a slew of injuries to deal with. That’s not the case this time around. Now, the Pelicans have Rajon Rondo healthy, haven’t played since Saturday, and have won three of their last four games.
Considering how the Wolves looked in the fourth quarter against Washington, just one night ago, there is cause for concern in a game featuring a freshly-rested pair of the most physically-imposing big men in the league.
Like Tuesday night’s game against Washington, their last meeting with the Pelicans was a grind-it-out affair. Both teams had big-time scoring performances, but no shots were gotten easily, and some usual suspects – Towns against New Orleans earlier in November, Wiggins on Tuesday against Washington – did not have their best performances.
On paper, it’s a game the Wolves should win, unless that paper you’re looking at includes each team’s schedule.
Final notes:
– Like Tuesday night, Jeff Teague and Nemanja Bjelica are game-time decisions in New Orleans. Bjelica was a quicker pull from action against Washington, but it appeared as though the choice on Teague came down to the final minutes of pregame. It wouldn’t be shocking to see either of them suit up on the road.
– While the Iowa Wolves were back in action Monday after a short break, two-way contract signee Anthony Brown was still up with the big club. He was not, however, at the Target Center during Tuesday’s loss to Washington. The Iowa Wolves play again on Friday.
– Speaking of Iowa, Justin Patton was spotted warming up before Minnesota’s game against Washington Monday. The heavy assumption is that, when Patton is ready for game action, he’ll begin his pro career down in Des Moines.
Listen to Tim on Wolves Wired!
