WOLVES GAME DAY
at Cleveland Cavaliers, 6:30 p.m. Friday
TV; radio: BSNX; iHeartRadio app
Statistics and analysis: Tap here
Odds: Riders by 1.
Pre-match reading: Karl-Anthony Towns out due to meniscus injury, severity unknown.
Opening bell: The Wolves will play their second game of a six-game trip to Cleveland, and this will mark their fourth straight game since the All-Star break. The Wolves are 7-2 late in back-to-back games this season, but both losses came on the road.
Look at him: Darius Garland will take on a significant portion of the Cavaliers’ offensive responsibilities without Donovan Mitchell. Garland is averaging 18.2 points and 6.2 assists per game this season.
Injuries: Karl-Anthony Towns will be out for the Wolves. For Cleveland, Mitchell (28 points per game) is out with a knee injury, power forward Evan Mobley is out with an ankle injury. Ty Jerome (ankle) is out and Max Strus (sprained knee) is out.
Forecast: It’s difficult to determine what could happen if both teams were missing important pieces of their starting lineups, although Cleveland lost two points to the Wolves’ one. The Cavaliers have the advantage of the rest and are at home, which could swing the match in their favor. If the Wolves’ defense is up to par, it could slow down a Cleveland offense that is 16th in efficiency — when Mitchell plays.
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