The Minnesota Timberwolves will play their third game in four nights when they tip off against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night in Minneapolis.
Minnesota is coming off a 113-103 road loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, following a 119-116 home victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Despite the hectic schedule, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch is unfazed.
Charlotte also faces a challenging schedule, having played back-to-back home games against the Boston Celtics, both resulting in losses. The Hornets fell 124-109 on Friday night and 113-103 on Saturday night. After a day off, they are set to face another tough test against the Timberwolves.
The Hornets’ next challenge is to slow down Anthony Edwards, who is averaging a team-high 28.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in his first six games. Julius Randle follows with 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, while Naz Reid ranks third with 13.7 points per game.
Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is questionable due to a sore left ankle. Gobert is averaging a double-double with 10.8 points and 10.3 rebounds.
Charlotte’s top scorer is LaMelo Ball, averaging 30.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists, while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from beyond the arc. Tre Mann is second on the team with 19.2 points per game off the bench. Miles Bridges averages 13.3 points, and Brandon Miller and Nick Richards are both averaging 11 points per game. Miller is questionable with a glute injury, and Richards is expected to miss the game due to a sore right shoulder.
If Gobert cannot play for Minnesota, reserve big man Josh Minott could see more playing time. On Saturday, Minott scored four points and grabbed two rebounds in 10 minutes of play.
Minnesota is 2-1 at home this season, while Charlotte is 1-1 on the road.
