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Two Western Conference playoff hopefuls will duke it out on Monday night. The Minnesota Timberwolves (17-4; 12-9-0 ATS) are in Louisiana, where the New Orleans Pelicans (12-11; 13-9-1 ATS) are gunning for another win. These teams have met twice, including an earlier battle in Smoothie King Center, with Minnesota winning both times. At 8:00 p.m. EDT, they can make it three-for-three. Will the Timberwolves keep running wild, or are the Pelicans going to take them down?
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With a six-game winning streak, the Timberwolves have maintained their status atop the NBA record-wise. Lately, they've been getting it done without Anthony Edwards, who is questionable for this contest. A defensive rating better than every other team is where Minnesota's success starts. Minnesota allows a league-low 42.8% shooting, 33.6% on threes (3rd), and only 20.2 free throw attempts per game. They're also an above-average team at forcing turnovers and rebounding. Anchored by Rudy Gobert, Minnesota allows the fewest points per game (105.2).
On the other end, they're good enough, ranking 17th in offensive rating. Getting Anthony Edwards back would be a massive boost there. With or without him, Minnesota needs to fix a turnover percentage that 9;s 23rd in the NBA. They're also a below-average offensive rebounding team. The positives include solid shooting at every area of the floor, particularly a free throw percentage that's sixth in the league. Minnesota's true shooting percentage is seventh. They may not put up crazy numbers, but the Timberwolves score enough to win often.