The New Orleans Pelicans will shoot for their fourth win in a row when they oppose the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.
New Orleans will play on short rest after cruising to a 112-85 home win against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night. Seven players scored in double figures for the Pelicans, led by veteran guard CJ McCollum with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
The Pelicans have won eight of 11 games since Dec. 11.
“It starts with our defense,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said. “When we can get stops and rebound, that’s our best basketball.”
Defense also has been key to the Timberwolves’ success during the first few months of the season. Minnesota is allowing 107.5 points per game, which is the fewest in the NBA.
The Timberwolves are looking to bounce back from a 112-106 road loss against the New York Knicks on New Year’s Day. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards scored 35 points on 11-of-21 shooting, and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 29 points in a losing effort.
“We were flat in the first half,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “I don’t know what it was. We didn’t have our best game. Didn’t have our ‘A’ game. But I was pleased that we fought back into the game even when we got down big.”
Next comes another test for Minnesota, which has not lost back-to-back games this season. The Timberwolves are 7-0 after a loss.
The Timberwolves and Pelicans already have met three times this season, with Minnesota winning two of those matchups.
The Timberwolves prevailed 122-101 at home on Nov. 8 in a game in which Pelicans star Zion Williamson did not play. Edwards led Minnesota with 26 points, and Brandon Ingram topped New Orleans with 24.
The next matchup was Nov. 18 in New Orleans, where the Timberwolves trailed by 14 points in the fourth quarter before rallying for a 121-120 win. Towns scored 29 points and Ingram had 30 to lead their respective teams.
The Pelicans won the most recent meeting on Dec. 11 in New Orleans. Williamson scored a season-best 36 points on 13-of-17 shooting and McCollum added 23 points in a 121-107 rout of the Timberwolves.
Minnesota’s Jordan McLaughlin played a total of eight minutes in the previous three contests against New Orleans, but he could see more playing time on Wednesday night. McLaughlin helped spark a 12-0 run on Monday en route to scoring a season-high nine points. He has drawn praise from coaches and teammates for his contributions off the bench.
The 27-year-old from the University of Southern California has appeared in 198 games over parts of five seasons with Minnesota.
“He’s now played in three of the last handful of games, and every single time he’s come in and had a super positive impact,” Finch said. “We still believe (that ninth player in the rotation) could be situational, but if somebody comes in and takes it, then somebody comes and takes it. And it looks like ‘J-Mac’ is on his way to doing that right now.”
Minnesota is 14-1 at home this season, the only defeat coming against the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 24. New Orleans is 8-7 on the road.
–Field Level Media