Minnesota Timberwolves vs San Antonio Spurs Prediction: Wolves to win

Minnesota most recently lost to San Antonio in the NBA regular season, and the Timberwolves are surely determined to get revenge on their home court. Will the Timberwolves be able to draw the right conclusions from their recent loss?

The Timberwolves' prospects look bright not even so much because of the emergence of Rudy Gobert. Role players Jaylen Nowell and Jaden McDaniels continue to progress, and now even Kyle Anderson's injury doesn't look like a disaster. Austin Rivers and Bryn Forbes, who played an important role in Denver recently, aren't really needed anymore, averaging something like 10 minutes per game. Now six Minnesota players are averaging 10+ points apiece, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards still capable of scoring. The Wolves were known for their tenacity last season, but now they are only 20th in the NBA in steals. Minnesota's 28.7 percent three-point shooting is not good either, which ranks 28th in the league.

Chris Finch's squad has a relatively straightforward schedule thus far in the regular season, but the team has alternated wins and losses against Western Conference underdogs. Minnesota has only beaten Oklahoma State (twice) so far, and last week they fell to San Antonio, 106-115. The Timberwolves trailed by as many as 30 points throughout the game, and only in the final quarter did the Wolves cut the handicap. Edwards looked thin, hitting just 3 of his 15 shots from the field. Both Lowell and Edwards missed long-range shots and in the end Minnesota shot just 25.8% from three-point range. D'Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns were the most prolific players for the Timberwolves, scoring 25 and 27 points respectively.

Against all predictions, the Spurs are 5th in the Western Conference after 4 games in the regular season with 3 wins in 4 games. Gregg Popovich is proving that he can produce results in individual games with any selection of performers. San Antonio is moving the ball well and creating chances to shoot, with the Spurs now leading the league in assists. The Spurs are 8th in the NBA in steals and 13th in three-pointers made, thanks in large part to Doug McDermott, Devin Vassell and Josh Richardson. Keldon Johnson remains the Spurs' leading scorer, averaging 20.5 points per game. Vassell probably won't play against Minnesota but the rest of San Antonio's roster will be close to optimal.

Vassell was one of the main protagonists in the recent meeting with Minnesota. Devin made 5 three-pointers and with 23 points was the most productive player on the team. Admittedly, Spurs' success would have been unlikely without six players scoring 10+ points. In addition to Poeltl, Johnson and Vassell, Josh Primo, Jeremy Sochan and Zach Collins all reached the milestone. McDermott wasn't as prominent and didn't hit a single shot from beyond the arc, nor did Tre Jones fly at all. The Spurs won the battle on other people's boards, with Peltl pulling more than half of San Antonio's offensive rebounds.

The recent encounter between the teams was very dynamic. Minnesota and San Antonio often finished their offensive plays in the opening seconds of a possession, but their execution left a lot to be desired. San Antonio is capable of hitting well again from beyond the arc, even if Vassell is absent, given McDermott, who is unlikely to hit a single three-pointer for the second time in a row. In the first quarter, for example, the opponents combined for 67 points; at this rate, they should have no trouble hitting the posted total. Timberwolves are able to play better, Edwards will have plenty of motivation. Our prediction for the upcoming game is as follows:

• TO (231.5) for 1.645;
• H1 (-8.5) for 1.85;
• W1 by 21+ Points for 5.50.

Telecom Asia Sport is looking for tipsters from India. Contact jobs@telecomasia.net for more information.