If I had asked you last week which of these two teams would be on a two-game winning streak and which would have lost two in a row, your answer would have come as quickly and as surely as mighty Willamette after a heavy spring rain.
No, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves do not have similar seasons. They don’t have the same talent. Their franchises do not have the same expectations this year. And their goal for April, May and June couldn’t be more different.
However, it is the humble Blazers who are on the rise after winning two games in two nights in Tennessee, the second in overtime this led Jabari Walker to declare that the free throws he made forced overtime were the greatest of his career.
That’s not to say all is well in Rip City: the Grizzlies had double-digit numbers of players on the injury report, and Anfernee Simons continues to play less like the star guard Portland needs him to be and more like a player slightly below. average starter, with only an average of 18 points per game at 36% shooting over his last six games… and this despite his 30 points two days ago.
Will Minnesota view this as a good matchup for a team that recently lost its top seed in the West to the Oklahoma City Thunder? Or will the young Blazers continue to be courageous, disrupting a more talented team just enough to pull out the win? There’s only one way to find out!
Portland Trail Blazers (17-42) against the Minnesota Timberwolves (42-19) – Monday. March 4 – 5:00 p.m. Pacific
How to watch on TV: Root Sports, NBA League Pass
Trail Blazers Injuries: Justin Minaya, Deandre Ayton, Matisse Thybulle (questionable); Jerami Scholarship (doubtful), Scoot Henderson, Malcolm Brogdon, Shaedon Sharpe, Robert Williams III, (outgoing)
Timberwolves injuries: Jaylen Clark (outgoing)
About the opponent
Tim Garrison of Canis Hoopus writes about recently signed Wolves forward TJ Warren, who joins the team on a 10-day contract:
In a recent interview with Hoops Hype, Warren said, “I’m 100 percent healthy now.” The veteran winger will now have the opportunity to prove it on the best team in the Western Conference… When healthy, Warren plays long with sublime body control. Warren is lethal from the left corner of the field, where he sits 38.3% in his career and 37/86 for 43% over his last three years. Warren is active when not in possession, often starting from the left corner, and either cuts to the rim or finds open space on the perimeter. In addition to his shooting and movement, Warren is effective at attacking fences and finding open space where he can cook from mid-range, or use his touch to finish with a floater. When the defense gives him enough space to get to the rim, Warren makes the defense pay with 58.6% shooting at the rim.
Esfandiar Baraheni from Forbes explains how Minnesota has a clutch time problem that could haunt them as they look to win the playoffs:
Out of 21 players who have played more than 15 decisive games and made more than two shots in those scenarios, Edwards’ 46.3 percent from the field is 11th and his 25 percent from three is 19th. Towns is even worse, shooting 37% from the field and 25% from three in clutch moments. How do you fix this? Well, there’s no better experience than… experience. Both players need to figure out how to play their games in close combat and not make as many mistakes with the ball. In the meantime, perhaps leaning on Conley, 36, to control the pace in clutch moments will help them get into things more easily. But with 21 games left in the regular season and Minnesota all but locked in the top 4 in the West, this problem is sure to rear its ugly head in the playoffs, especially with the lower seed. Dallas Mavericks, Warriors of the Golden State And the Los Angeles Lakers all with more experience in make-or-break playoff situations than the Wolves’ two young stars.
Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (subscription required) provides more details on Minnesota’s methodical – some might say slow – transition of ownership:
Lore and Rodriguez must complete three steps to fulfill their obligations and become majority owners. It all started in 2021 with the purchase of the first 20 percent, making them minority owners in their own right. They bought 20 percent more last season and are expected to buy 40 percent more by the end of this month, which will give them 80 percent of the Timberwolves and Lynx… If they don’t have money by the end of this month, the deal will be closed. could crater and Taylor would retain control of the team. But sources in the Lore/A-Rod camp have been firm throughout the process, saying everything is in order.
