The Minnesota Timberwolves play host to the Brooklyn Nets in a showdown on Friday night from Target Center. The Nets come in still expecting to be in playoff position come to the end of the season, though did lose on Thursday night. For the Timberwolves, they are right in the thick of the playoff run in the Western Conference but are in a much similar position as the Nets in terms of their recent run of results. This will be the first meeting between the two this season, after splitting a pair of games last year, and should be one of the more interesting game son Friday's slate.
The Nets have taken a slight step back after their trade deadline moves but still remain in prime position when it comes to the Eastern Conference playoff race. They know that they'll need to remain strong down the stretch and after playing just last night, the second half of a back-to-back could be a challenge. On the road this season, the Nets are barely above .500, sitting at 18-16, while continuing their lengthy road trip is bound to be a challenge anyway. This will be their third straight road game, all in the span of four days, as well as their seventh road game in the span of their last ten overall. That's difficult for any team to overcome, regardless of the opponent, and will make life difficult for them on Friday.
The Nets had a lengthy injury report on Thursday night but the hope is that a majority of those players will be able to give it a go on Friday night. Ben Simmons (knee) does remain out inde finitely, though the quad of Royce O'Neal, Cam Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Nic Claxton, all of who were out with knee injuries on Thursday, should be able to go in this one.
LOVING this effort pic.twitter.com/mzvkU59zz0
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 10, 2023
Brooklyn's offense has been one of the best in the Eastern Conference this season and even with a new roster trying to work themselves together, the success has quickly followed. With a majority of their starting lineup also having sat out on Thursday night, they should be well-rested for this matchup. The Nets rank third in the league in field-goal percentage and three-point percentage, and even without much effort on the offense glass, have scored the ball well. Expect Miles Bridges (26.5 ppg) to continue his strong run of scoring, especially with Minnesota's perimeter defense searching for answers. With plenty of experience as well, Brooklyn won't be daunted on the road, though fatigue could be another story.
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