On Tuesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves travel to take on the Brooklyn Nets in a game between two teams with ‘mathematical playoff playoff hopes’.
Injury Updates for Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets
With a win over the Nets and a Utah Jazz defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Minnesota Timberwolves (39-40), now eighth in the Western Conference, would be guaranteed at least a position in the play-in tournament.
Meanwhile, with a win over the Timberwolves and a Miami Heat loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Brooklyn Nets (43-35) would secure at worst the No. 6 playoff place in the Eastern Conference.
For T-Wolves, who once thought to have a comfortable lead in the Western Conference playoff race, have dropped three straight games and now must win in Brooklyn and San Antonio to have any chance of making the playoffs.
They were surprised by the Portland Trail Blazers 107-105 at home on Sunday.
The Timberwolves appear to be going through a similar midseason change as the Nets. During the trade deadline, they acquired point guard Mike Conley from the Utah Jazz, but Karl-Anthony Towns’ return to the lineup after missing 52 games with a strained calf has been their biggest difficulty as of late.
In the game against Portland, Towns attempted a career-low three shots.
In the loss to Portland, Anthony Edwards scored 37 points.
Edwards led the Wolves in scoring, shots, made threes, and minutes played. Four times this year, he has reached 35 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Rudy Gobert, meanwhile, played 35 minutes and contributed 10 points (5-10 FG), 15 rebounds, and three assists.
Gobert posted a double-double, leading the NBA in boards while also scoring in double figures as one of five Timberwolves.
In 7 of his last 10 contests, including his last two, Gobert has recorded a double-double.
Given that Towns has not yet regained his form, Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards will play important roles as the Wolves’ leaders.
Last month, the Nets are coming off an overtime victory in Minnesota (124-123) and will be looking to complete the season sweep of the Timberwolves.
Since then, the Nets have won only 5 of 11 games, but three of those victories have come during the current victory streak.
The Nets have won their first three games of their current four-game homestand against the Houston Rockets, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Utah Jazz.
Nick Friedell of ESPN.com quotes Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn as saying that Ben Simmons (back, knee) will miss the entire upcoming season but will not need surgery this summer.
“Ben will not be joining us the rest of the year and through the playoffs,” Vaughn said after Tuesday’s practice. “After consulting with our doctors, multiple specialists, he’s just going to begin a rehab program. Our doctors and the specialists feel and think that he’ll have a full recovery so that starts now.”
Nets injuries:
- Ben Simmons (Back) – Out for the season
Timberwolves injuries:
- Karl-Anthony Towns (Calf) – Questionable
- Jaylen Nowell (Knee) – Questionable
- Austin Rivers (Illness) – Questionable
- Naz Reid (Wrist) – Out
