vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Target Center, 7 p.m. Friday
Timberwolves-Cavaliers game preview: Anthony Edwards, Naz Reid will play
Donovan Mitchell is sidelined for Cleveland, which has the third-best record in the East.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 22, 2024 at 11:15PM
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Jerry Zgoda’s preview:
Pregame report: Wolves coach Chris Finch said G Anthony Edwards (finger) and C Naz Reid (head) will play, and that C Rudy Gobert (ribs) is a game-time decision.
Opening bell: The teams complete their two-game season series within a two-week span. The Wolves lost 113-104 in overtime at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on March 8. The Cavaliers played without star Donovan Mitchell, but Darius Garland scored 34 points. The Wolves (47-22) won five of seven games before Tuesday’s 115-112 home loss to Denver that dropped them behind Oklahoma City and the Nuggets into third place in the Western Conference.
Watch him: Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen had his 31st double-double this season — and his third consecutively — with a career-high 33 points and a game-high 18 rebounds in beating the Wolves with a 16-7 overtime advantage. Allen scored 10 of those 16 overtime points. The Cavs are 23-8 when Allen reaches a double-double.
Injuries: For the Cavs, Mitchell (nasal fracture), Evan Mobley (ankle), Max Strus (knee) and Dean Wade (knee) are out. For the Wolves, Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) is out.
Forecast: The Wolves lost in overtime that last time against Cleveland, one night after an emotional 113-111 victory at Indiana. Now they had two days off before facing the Cavs (43-26). Both playoff-bound teams are missing star power, but with Edwards and Reid playing, the Wolves have the edge.
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The players communicated through a group text chain to pull themselves out of a four-game losing streak. But the thread is used for other ways to bond and build camaraderie.
