The Minnesota Timberwolves (35-37, 34-38-0 ATS) are reeling right now at the worst time, as they are clinging to dear life for one of the Western Conference play-in spots. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks (42-30, 40-29-3 ATS) are cruising, firmly in a playoff spot, and playing winning basketball. Way back in November, the Knicks went to Minneapolis and walked away with a 13-point win. This time, the Timberwolves are on the road, and Madison Square Garden's faithful will welcome them at 7:30 p.m. EST on Monday.
This season was one that was supposed to see Minnesota become championship contenders when they swung a blockbuster trade for center Rudy Gobert. Instead, they're a part of the Western Conference mosh pit, part of a three-way tie for eighth but only one game ahead of 12th (and tied with 11th and 12th in the loss column). Injuries have played a pivotal role, with Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined since November with a calf injury.
In a loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday, All-Star Anthony Edwards left with an ankle injury, and he doesn't have a timeline to return with only a few weeks left in the season. Edwards didn't play in Saturday's loss in Toronto, a game that Minnesota dropped by 15 for a third consecutive loss. Their three-point shooting was atrocious at 5-23 for the contest, and they clearly missed their two leading scorers.
Minnesota's offense has struggled enough this se ason, ranking 24th in offensive rating with Edwards playing 71 games. One of their greatest issues is turning the ball over on 14.7% of their possessions, a rate that's worse than all but four teams. Their 75.9% clip from the free throw line, 23rd in the NBA, doesn't help either. However, the Timberwolves still have an effective field goal percentage that's eighth in the league.
Defensively, Minnesota is 10th in defensive rating, and they'll need to lean on that heavily if they want to stay afloat in Anthony Edwards' absence. They force turnovers on 14.6% of their opponent's possessions, which is fifth in the league. They also hold foes to 62.1% shooting at the rim, a rate that's 10th in the league and shouldn't be surprising with Gobert's presence. Threes are an issue though, with opposing teams knocking down 37.1%, which is 23rd among NBA defenses. Rudy Gobert is also questionable on Monday though.
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