The Brooklyn Nets continue a three-game road trip with a visit to play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. The two teams opened their 2019-20 seasons with a classic 127-126 overtime contest won by the Timberwolves.
The wait for Caris LeVert continues as he is set to miss yet another game for Brooklyn. It is basically deja vu for the Nets, who missed him for the majority of last season too.
And several weeks remain before we see Kyrie Irving again, who never had a definitive timetable in the first place. But Brooklyn has remained over .500 through it all, proving just how resilient it is, as well as how terrific its head coach is. The Nets are continuing to fight every night.
The last Timberwolves game was not a pleasant viewing experience. Missing both Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota scored just 88 points in a loss to the Cavaliers, not finding any consistency on either side of the floor.
The Timberwolves have struggled mightily since their hot start, and are hoping to close 2019 on a high note. Just like the Suns, they fizzled out after surprising the masses with a quick beginning to their year. If they have their stars, they do tend to play better basketball. It’s not rocket science.
The spread for Monday night’s game favors the visiting Nets by 2.5 points, while the over/under is set at 218.5 points.
Looking To Bounce Back
Fresh off a hard-fought loss against Houston, the Nets will be looking to bounce back, and it won’t take as much effort to win this one. Spencer Dinwiddie has been leading the Nets this season, averaging 23 points, three rebounds and six assists and proving himself worthy of an All-Star appearance.
Joe Harris continues to crush it from deep, shooting 43 percent on seven triples per game. Irving has missed 20 games now, and the Nets have gone 12-8 in his absence. He will eventually return, and when he does, the Nets will have a great 1-2-point guard duo. And next year, Kevin Durant enters the fold, and things get overly interesting in Brooklyn.
To get it done against the Timberwolves, the Nets could use a strong performance from Jarrett Allen in the middle against Gorgui Dieng or Towns, whoever he faces. When he performs, they win.
Trying To Snap Out Of A Funk
Coming off the tough loss to Cleveland, the Timberwolves hope to win for the home fans this time. Towns has missed eight games, and the Timberwolves have but one win in his absence. On the bright side, Dieng has finally performed up to the overpriced contract that Tom Thibodeau gave him four years ago while filling in as the starter for the usually-healthy center.
Robert Covington and Jeff Teague have failed to be game-changers, clearly affecting the team’s performance. Outside of Towns and a likely All-Star in Wiggins, they have nobody they can turn to for a quick bucket. They have to upgrade the point guard spot at the deadline.
If Wiggins sits for this one, you can already chalk up the L, but if the Timberwolves have their stars, there will be some hope for them to come away victorious.
Nets Pick Up Win
It’s a nice way to close out the year for Brooklyn as the Nets claim a victory in Minnesota.
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