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(NBA) Minnesota vs. San Antonio,
Point Spread: 11.00 | -100.00 Minnesota (Away)
Result: Win
Point Spread: 11.00 | -100.00 Minnesota (Away)
Result: Win
The set-up: The 14-27 Minnesota Timberwolves had put together a three-game winning streak before suffering a 98-87 road loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday but head to San Antonio to take on the 31-9 Spurs, a team they haven't beaten in San Antonio since April 17, 2013.
Minnesota: The T-wolves own the enviable trio of Wiggins (21.9 & 4.3), Towns (21.8 & 11.9) and LaVine (20.1). Shooting guard LaVine (hip) struggled in his return from a two-game injury absence and had just 11 points in 34 minutes in Sunday's loss to the Mavericks. LaVine admitted to feeling "a little tired, a little gassed" in the opening minutes but said the poor effort was due to his sub-par shooting and not rust. Center Karl-Anthony Towns had just 18 points and nine rebounds against Dallas, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive double-doubles. Most observers believed teh T-wolves would show marked improvement this season under new head coach Tom Thibodeau but the team's record says, that hasn't been the case.
San Antonio: The Spurs are looking to bounce back from a rare loss, as Kawhi Leonard's (24.6 & 5.7) career-high 38-point performance in Mexico City was wasted Saturday against the Suns, when the Spurs let an 11-point third-quarter lead get away in a 108-105 loss. "I'm always trying to come down with a win. That's what matters to me and my squad. It was definitely disappointing to come out with a loss," Leonard said after that game. Aldridge (17.5 & 7.1) joins Leonard as San Antonio's new "Big 2" but that San Antonio depth is alive and well, as the Spurs have seven players contributing between 6.2 and 11.9 PPG.
The pick: The Spurs have only lost back-to-back contests just once this season and are 7-1 in games after a loss, winning those seven games by an average of 19.7 PPG. Yes, Minnesota is just 5-14 SU on the road this year but it is only being outscored by an average of 5.1 PPG. "We're still not there," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters after Sunday's loss to Dallas. "We went into camp with that idea of locking into daily improvement. Studying the team closely in the off-season, I knew there were a lot of areas we were short in. ... I like the direction we're moving in." I agree and will take the big points and make Minnesota a 10* play.
Minnesota: The T-wolves own the enviable trio of Wiggins (21.9 & 4.3), Towns (21.8 & 11.9) and LaVine (20.1). Shooting guard LaVine (hip) struggled in his return from a two-game injury absence and had just 11 points in 34 minutes in Sunday's loss to the Mavericks. LaVine admitted to feeling "a little tired, a little gassed" in the opening minutes but said the poor effort was due to his sub-par shooting and not rust. Center Karl-Anthony Towns had just 18 points and nine rebounds against Dallas, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive double-doubles. Most observers believed teh T-wolves would show marked improvement this season under new head coach Tom Thibodeau but the team's record says, that hasn't been the case.
San Antonio: The Spurs are looking to bounce back from a rare loss, as Kawhi Leonard's (24.6 & 5.7) career-high 38-point performance in Mexico City was wasted Saturday against the Suns, when the Spurs let an 11-point third-quarter lead get away in a 108-105 loss. "I'm always trying to come down with a win. That's what matters to me and my squad. It was definitely disappointing to come out with a loss," Leonard said after that game. Aldridge (17.5 & 7.1) joins Leonard as San Antonio's new "Big 2" but that San Antonio depth is alive and well, as the Spurs have seven players contributing between 6.2 and 11.9 PPG.
The pick: The Spurs have only lost back-to-back contests just once this season and are 7-1 in games after a loss, winning those seven games by an average of 19.7 PPG. Yes, Minnesota is just 5-14 SU on the road this year but it is only being outscored by an average of 5.1 PPG. "We're still not there," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters after Sunday's loss to Dallas. "We went into camp with that idea of locking into daily improvement. Studying the team closely in the off-season, I knew there were a lot of areas we were short in. ... I like the direction we're moving in." I agree and will take the big points and make Minnesota a 10* play.
