On Wednesday, Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards collide at the Target Center.
The Timberwolves have shown impressive form, winning 7 out of their last 9 matches, and demonstrated their resolve to continue their winning streak following a victory against the Los Angeles Lakers with a score of 127:117. In this match, Naz Reid scored 31 points and made 11 rebounds, demonstrating high shooting efficiency, Anthony Edwards added 26 points and 8 assists, while Rudy Gobert contributed 18 points, 16 rebounds and 3 assists. The Timberwolves showed a high percentage of successful field goals - 51% and successfully realized 15 out of 39 three-pointers, dominating on the court and controlling the game, especially after scoring 46 points in the second quarter and increasing the advantage to 20 points.
Since joining the NBA in the 1989-90 season as an expansion team, the Minnesota Timberwolves have faced difficulties in achieving significant success in the league, making it to the playoffs only 11 times and winning post-season series only twice - both successes came in the 2003-04 season under the leadership of Kevin Garnett. With current statistics of 54-24, the Timberwolves confidently occupy leading positions in the West, sharing first place with Denver Nuggets and surpassing the Oklahoma Thunder.
The Wizards are enduring one of the most difficult periods in their long history, setting a season's low with a result of 15 wins and 64 losses, the lowest figure in the entire 63-year history of the franchise. The difficult start to the 2023-24 season led to significant changes in the team, including the firing of head coach Wes Unseld Jr and the appointment of Brian Keefe as interim head. These difficulties are particularly noticeable in the recent matches, where the Wizards have lost six out of their last seven matches, including the latest defeat from the Toronto Raptors with a score of 122:130, underscoring their crisis.
In this encounter with the Raptors, Washington showed both moments of struggle and the problems that have haunted them all season. Deni Avdija stood out with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, while Jordan Poole added 29 points and 12 assists, and Corey Kispert contributed 21 points. Despite the fact that the team showed 47% shooting accuracy and realized 16 out of 40 three-pointers, a slow start with 17 points in the first quarter and a deficit of 29 points became an insurmountable barrier for the Wizards.
After a temporary uptick, the Wizards have again lost stability, unlike the Timberwolves, who demonstrate one of the best levels of play in the current season, especially noticeable in the recent clash with the actively victorious Lakers. Predictions for this game point to a significant advantage for Minnesota, I'll go with the individual total under for Washington, as Minnesota plays magnificently in defence.
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