Minnesota Timberwolves vs San Antonio Spurs: Offensively packed Timberwolves meet Murray-less Spurs

NBA Regular Season has now moved into the most intense sphere and the NBA Play-in tournament will serve as the curtain-raiser for the Playoffs. And two of the teams in the Play-in tournaments will be here as the Minnesota Timberwolves will host the San Antonio Spurs. The Timberwolves have been one of the best offensive teams in the league and have improved exponentially compared to the last season, meanwhile, the Spurs have overcome a sub-par season and are clicking on all cylinders these days. 

Timberwolves are the favorites to be the first one to qualify in the Play-in scene

The Timberwolves have been one of the premier offensive teams in the league and they have led the league in three-pointers, especially during the second half of the season. The team has three versatile scorers in the starting lineup. Center Karl Anthony-Towns is one of the best shooting Centers who can also take defenders off the dribble and finish inside. Anthony Edwards has been one of the best rim-drivers all season long while also improving his playmaking and shooting.

Although D’Angelo Russell has been struggling a bit at times from the field, he provides quality perimeter shooting and playmaking. Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley are hustling players and Beverley has been a crucial playmaker and perimeter defender. Malik Beasley is one of the elite shooters while Jaylen Nowell, Taurean Prince, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Jordan McLaughlin square off a strong bench.

The Spurs can pose problems in the Play-in tournament

The Spurs will battle it out versus the Pelicans in the Play-in tournament. This is a tough match-up because the Pelicans have a lot of defensive grit and they have terrific rebounders as well. The Spurs have played much better these days and have won seven out of the last eight games and although most of the wins have been among sub-par teams, the last win versus the Nuggets was a superb one considering the team won without DeJounte Murray.

This is why getting a win here can bolster the confidence of this team as the Timberwolves can be tough to beat on their home floor and can outscore below 50% win teams. The Spurs have become much stronger on the defensive end and they can end up nabbing two wins in a row. Keldon Johnson has done a great job as the scoring wing while Zach Collins and Devin Vassell have lifted their games.

• Timberwolves: Jaden McDaniels and Patrick Beverley are QUESTIONABLE for the game. Malik Beasley is PROBABLE;
• Spurs: Lonnie Walker IV is QUESTIONABLE for the game. Devin Vassell is PROBABLE for the game. Jock Landale, DeJounte Murray, and Doug McDermott are OUT.

Assuming these players are available, below are my player-based statistics predictions:

• I believe Keldon Johnson will nab at least 8 rebounds;
• I see Anthony Edwards scoring at least 22 points;
• I believe Jakob Poeltl will block at least 2 shots;
• I see D’Angelo Russell dishing at least 8 assists;
• I see Josh Richardson scoring at least 14 points;
• I see Karl Anthony-Towns grabbing at least 10 rebounds.

Points Range: The Timberwolves are one of the highest-scoring teams in the league and they can surely light it up on their home floor. On the other hand, although the Spurs' defense did contain the Nuggets below 100 points, the Timberwolves are not scoring below 110 during most games, which can pose challenges to their defense. Remember San Antonio will be without their ace guard DeJounte and that can hurt them against the high-scoring Wolves to match up to the offensive dynamics. However, they have shown in the last game that there are a bunch of shot creators in Vassell, Keldon, and Richardson while Collins and Poeltl have been strong inside. The rebounding battle will be crucial but this will most likely be an uptempo game. I believe a total points range of 230-240 is possible here.

Prediction: The Timberwolves were caught napping on the defense by the Wizards in the last game and the defensive end has been an Achilles Heel for the team. However, I see them performing much better on that end in this game while their offense also making hay. Still, I see a big fightback from the Spurs at least till the first 30 minutes. However, I see the Timberwolves winning this game 125:115.

• Exact Number of Points- 228-247 for 2.40;
• Handicap 1 (-7.5) for 1.81;
• Total U 241.0 for 1.90;