Wolves vs. Pacers Preview, Starting Time, TV Schedule, Injury Report

Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Minnesota Timberwolves will look to contain Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and a dangerous Indiana Pacers offense on Thursday night, the first of six road games for the Wolves. Karl-Anthony Towns will miss this game due to left knee soreness.

This marks the start of the Timberwolves’ fourth straight set in the last two weeks. They are 3-0 in the second game of these sets, but only 1-2 in the first few games.

Minnesota takes Monday off Victory 119-114 on an exhausted Portland Trail Blazers team, while Indiana will look to replicate its performance from a Victory 137-120 above Dallas Mavericks Tuesday.

The Timberwolves won the first meeting between these two teams in December, winner 127-109 the evening of AE1’s release. Towns opted for 40 while Edwards opted for 37.

But that was before the Pacers traded Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks to the Raptors a month later. Siakam is averaging 20.5 points with shooting splits of 55.7/38.8/67.6, 7.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists to 1.5 turnovers and 1.2 shares per 32, 7 minutes per game in 22 appearances as a Pacer. It’s a small sample size, sure, but he’s enjoying a career-high efficiency so far (59.5 effective FG) in Indiana, which isn’t a surprise considering the how the Pacers like to play and how Siakam’s skills fit perfectly into that identity.

Veteran forward TJ Warren will be available for his first game as a Wolf after signing a 10-day contract on Wednesday. With Towns out, he could see rotation minutes on Thursday.

Game information

• Who: Minnesota Timberwolves (43-19) at Indiana Pacers (35-28)
• When: Thursday, March 7 at 6:00 p.m. CT
• Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, IN
• Television: Bally Sports North (Michael Grady, Jim Petersen)
• Radio: Wolves app, iHeart Radio, KFAN 100.3 FM
• Line: Wolves +1 | Total: 229 (courtesy of DraftKings Sports Betting)

Injury report

Updated 6/3 at 6:00 p.m. CT

Minnesota

QUESTIONABLE:

• Jordan McLaughlin (illness)

OUT:

• Jaylen Clark (right Achilles tendon rupture rehabilitation)
• Leonard Miller (G League assignment)
• Karl-Anthony Towns (left knee pain)

Indiana

QUESTIONABLE:

• Quenton Jackson (two-way contract)
• Oscar Tshiebwe (two-way contract)
• Isaiah Wong (two-way contract)

OUT:

• Bennedict Mathurin (right shoulder sprain)
• Doug McDermott (right calf strain)

What to watch out for

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Edwards living in painting

The Timberwolves, already in Towns, need to get the best version of Edwards if they want to defeat a Pacers team capable of turning a game into an athletic competition and outplaying their opponent as well as any team in the NBA. Minnesota certainly got it in the first meeting between the two teams, when Edwards scored 37 points on 14/23 shooting, including 7/10 from beyond the arc to lead a 3-point shooting night 18/30 (60%) for the Wolves.

But this game looks different, as Indiana has developed an ability to prevent opponents from shooting 3s. Their opposing 3-point rate of 29.4% is the best mark in the league, nearly seven points below the league average of 36.1%. However, this comes at a cost. Indiana allows the most shots at the rim (37.8% of total opposing shots get there), and second most points per game in the paint (59.4).

With Bennedict Mathurin out (right shoulder sprain), Edwards will likely draw Aaron Nesmith, who doesn’t have the lateral quickness to stay with Ant on the drive. Nesmith allows 1.211 points per isolation, which is the worst mark of any defender in the entire NBA who has defended at least 70 isolations, according to Synergy. Haliburton won’t offer much resistance in switches either, as Hali allows 1,250 points per iso, the third-worst rating of any player with at least 40 isolates defended. I would also expect Edwards to target Obi Toppin, who allows 1.196 points per iso (ninth worst among those with at least 40 isolates defended).

Edwards relentlessly attacking the paint and getting to the line will be key. Indiana has spent the second most defensive possessions on penalties (i.e. its opponent is in the bonus) and committed the third most non-shooting fouls (129) in the NBA, by PBP statistics. Attack, attack, attack.

Minnesota will run a ton of pick-and-rolls with Edwards and Gobert in the game, which should also be a good recipe against a defense that allows opposing PnR handlers points per game (21.1) and points per possession the highest in these actions (1,012).

Wolves head coach Chris Finch will likely start Kyle Anderson in Towns’ absence, as he did all last season, but I’d like to see him go with Nickeil Alexander-Walker to maximize spacing around Edwards in PnR, then having Anderson. enter the game at 4 with Naz Reid at 5. Early returns on these lineups with Monte Morris are huge (+26.9 in 34 possessions, or approximately 20 minutes). This is obviously a very small sample size, but it makes sense in theory that these three, plus Edwards for scoring and Alexander-Walker or Jaden McDaniels for spacing and perimeter defense, would find success given the way their games complement each other.

It really feels like the Timberwolves are leaving a lot of points on the table by choosing not to continually make plays that their opponents can’t defend. Not spamming the pick-and-roll – the action that best engages Edwards as a scorer and playmaker – with Edwards in the game, while your second scorer, against the worst PnR defense in the league would be a foul professional. This should be a easy 30 points for Ant if he gives his best and Wolves put him in a position to succeed. Ant’s points prop at DraftKings Sportsbook is 29.5, for anyone wondering.

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Sprint back in transition

This group from Indiana puts the pace at the Pacers.

Whether it’s a success or a failure, head coach Rick Carlisle’s team flies to score either in transition or against a cross defense as well as against any team in the league. The Pacers score 16.0 fast break points per game, good for fourth in NBAand 17.9 points per game excluding turnovers, which ranks third in the league.

Minnesota will not only have to stop the ball, but also get tired of off-ball activities. Indiana takes 7.5 3-pointers per game in transition (most in the NBA) and scores 11.5 points per game off the cut (eighth in the NBA).

Haliburton leads the NBA in assists per game (11.3), is probably the best passer guard in today’s NBA and will absolutely carve up the Timberwolves defense if they struggle to get back in transition and match up, or just fall asleep playing defense. out of the ball. Siakam is also an extremely dangerous threat when he gets the rebound and looks to push the pace. Standing 6-foot-8 with guard skills, he does a great job creating coast-to-coast opportunities, collapsing the paint and spraying the ball to the perimeter, or simply initiating early actions that can help make his teammates look good.

Indiana does everything quickly and with intention (something we all really wish the Wolves would do themselves, but hey, let’s stay on topic). They come into action as soon as the shot clock starts and their average possession lasts just 13.2 seconds – shortest of any team in the league, according to PBP statistics. As a result, they hold an offensive rating of 106.8 on early opportunities, who is fourth in the NBA and well above the league average of 102.0.

If the Wolves don’t get back in transition and force the Pacers to deal with the length of Gobert, McDaniels, Alexander-Walker, Anderson, Edwards and Reid in the half-court, Indiana will make them pay and score points in short order. order.