vs. Denver Nuggets, Target Center, 8 p.m. Tuesday
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Chris Hine’s Preview:
Opening bell: The Wolves face Denver for only the second time this season. They will face Denver three more times this season, with the next two matchups taking place in Denver.
Look at him: Nikola Jokic may be heading toward his third MVP award in four seasons by averaging 25.9 points, 12.2 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game. It puts Denver in position to challenge for first place down the stretch.
Iinjuries: C Rudy Gobert missed the last two games with a rib injury, saying Monday, “I hope it’s just a matter of days.” C Naz Reid suffered a head injury Monday night against Utah and his status for the Denver game is unknown. For Denver, Zeke Nnaji is questionable due to lower back pain. Vlatko Cancar (knee) is absent.
Forecast: The Wolves won’t be able to guard Jokic like they usually do without Karl-Anthony Towns. They prefer to play Rudy Gobert off the ball and let him roam while Towns guards Jokic one-on-one. The Wolves will likely have to rely on Kyle Anderson and Reid, if he’s available, if they want to execute this strategy, assuming Gobert plays.
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