WOLVES GAMEDAY
vs. Brooklyn Nets, Target Center, 8 p.m. Saturday
TV; radio: BSNX; iHeartRadio app
Stats and analytics: Tap here
Odds: Timberwolves by 8½
Chris Hine's preview:
Opening bell: The Wolves will be on a back-to-back and are 4-2 when playing on the second night of those games. The Nets enter Saturday's matchup after losing by 28 in Toronto on Thursday in the first game under interim head coach Kevin Ollie.
Watch him: Mikal Bridges is leading the Nets with 21.7 points per game, down from the 26.1 he averaged with the team after the Nets acquired him from Phoenix last season.
Injuries: Dariq Whitehead (shin) is out for the season for Brooklyn. The Wolves all had regular contributors available for Friday's game against Milwaukee.
Forecast: The Nets are in a free fall, which culminated in the firing of coach Jacque Vaughn during the All-Star break. They are 8-24 in their last 32 games. One of those was a 96-94 loss to the Wolves, which also came on the tail end of a back-to-back in Brooklyn on Jan. 25. The Nets have the fifth-worst defense in the league during February. This should be a game the Wolves win, even with Brooklyn having the advantage of rest.
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![Vikings guard Dalton Risner, right, runs through drills with Doug Nester (72) during practice at TCO Performance Center in Eagan on Friday.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/RYZVIHV57NFAXCWPKOIV2PAWY4.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)