Now at 10 games over .500 for the first time since 2004, the Timberwolves are at the point where they see essentially every game as one they should win.
The Brooklyn Nets – who remain without D’Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin, and more recently without Caris LeVert and DeMarre Carroll due to injury – are one of those teams.
The Nets are a middle-of-the-pack team in offensive rating and sit in the bottom 10 in defensive rating, which results in a struggle to ever get any strong run together in a game.
But even so – and this might say more about the conference than the Nets as a team – they sit 11th in the Eastern Conference, and are only five games out of the eighth and final playoff spot.
Still, with Russell, Lin and LeVert out and Carroll questionable, the Wolves – even without Teague – should be heavy favorites coming into this game, especially considering how they’ve looked recently.
It’s also the first time Jahlil Okafor will get minutes with the Brooklyn Nets after a trade from Philadelphia earlier in the season
Had they not blown their 17-point lead over the Milwaukee Bucks, they would be on an eight-game winning streak, which would be the longest active win streak in the NBA.
Still, them being at 8-2 over their last 10 is tied for the best current 10-game stretch in the league, and it’s coming with the Wolves players all coming together at once.
Not only is Jimmy Butler playing some of the best basketball of his career, he’s learning to play with Karl-Anthony Towns, who is having a career-best stretch of his own.
That is all coming while Tyus Jones – subbing in for the injured Teague – is playing some career-best ball of his own.
Best of all, the individual success isn’t harming the overall team concept on either end of the floor. Quite the contrary, actually.
The wins prove it, and it’s why a win over the Nets in Brooklyn should be expected.
Listen to Tim on Wolves Wired!
