Wolves-Portland game preview
January 7, 2021 at 6:01AM
Russell is coming off 33-point game
Wolves update: Minnesota (2-5) has lost five consecutive games since a 2-0 start — with all the losses coming since Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a dislocated wrist — and defense has been a primary culprit. The Wolves rank last in the NBA in defensive rating (116.8), a stat that measures points allowed per 100 possessions. But the Wolves' offense has sputtered as well, with a 102.9 rating over the past five games — No. 27 in that span. … There were signs of life in the most recent defeat, a 123-116 loss to the Nuggets on Tuesday night that was close deep into the game. D'Angelo Russell had a season-high 33 points and was a plus-1 after being a combined minus-110 in the previous four defeats. Juancho Hernangomez broke out of an early slump with 25 points (21 in the first half), including five makes on eight three-point attempts. … Towns will miss his sixth consecutive game. Guard Josh Okogie will miss his fifth straight game because of a hamstring strain.
Portland update: The Trail Blazers (3-4) are off to a slow start and have the second-worst defensive rating (114.9) in the league behind the Wolves. But they have the league's 10th-best offense, led as usual by the backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The pair are averaging a combined 53.7 points per game. … Former Timberwolves forward Robert Covington is now with Portland, but he's averaging just 7.1 points on 32.4% three-point shooting.
Michael Rand
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The Timberwolves’ bench depth hasn’t been tested this year, but their bench quality has been a huge asset. It was on display once again in a comfortable win over Charlotte on Monday.
