NBA Cup action resumes on Friday night as the Minnesota Timberwolves host the Sacramento Kings at Target Center — on a neon green court, surely what James Naismith had in mind.
The Timberwolves (7-4, 1-0 NBA Cup) look to build on a three-game winning streak, which included a 27-point drubbing of the Kings in Sacramento. The Kings (3-9, 0-1 NBA Cup) aim to snap a disastrous four-game slide, each loss coming by double-digits.
Looking at the injury report, Terrence Shannon Jr. (foot) is out for Minnesota. For Sacramento, Keegan Murray (thumb) remains sidelined, while Domantas Sabonis (ribs) and Malik Monk (ankle) are listed as questionable.
Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET. The Wolves enter as 11.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Kings are listed as +455 underdogs. The game’s total is set at 239.5 points.
Kings vs. Timberwolves Preview
The Timberwolves have been rolling lately, stringing together a three-game winning streak that’s propelled them to sixth place in the Western Conference. While the competition hasn’t been strong — a first encounter with the Kings, sandwiched between a pair of contests against the Jazz — Minnesota is capitalizing on the friendly schedule.
So far, the Wolves have boasted a top-four offense in the league in terms of offensive rating. They have scored the NBA’s sixth-most points per game (121.2), while ranking second in both field goal percentage (50.5%) and three-point percentage (40.6%) — knocking down more than 14 deep balls per game.
While the team’s defense has been middling at best, Minnesota shuts down fast breaks and limits inside opportunities, producing a strong 8th-ranked net rating.
The Wolves’ lineup is anchored by star guard Anthony Edwards, who leads the team with 27.1 points per game. Julius Randle isn’t far behind at 25.4 points a night, also posting a team-high 6.2 assists and 1.3 steals. Rudy Gobert commands the paint with 10.1 rebounds and nearly two blocks a night.
Sacramento is in shambles. After the team’s 33-point loss to the struggling Atlanta Hawks punctuated a four-game slide, head coach Doug Christie lambasted his players and declared that, at 55 years old, he could do better if he were able to put on a jersey.
Through 12 games, the Kings sit near the bottom in offensive (25th), defensive (27th), and net rating (26th).
Sacramento leans on mid-range jumpers perhaps a bit too much. While the strategy suits the playstyles of DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook, the Kings have largely neglected the three, despite shooting a respectable 37.3% from long range.
To sugarcoat, Sacramento’s defense is brutal. Not only do they rank 29th in rebounding, but they also rank second-to-last in opponent field goal percentage (51%) and allow the NBA’s third-most points per game (124.5).
Zach LaVine leads the charge for the Kings on offense, averaging 23.9 points per game, while Domantas Sabonis corrals 12.3 rebounds per contest, ranking fourth in the NBA.
Kings vs. Timberwolves Best Bet
Looking deeper into Sacramento’s defensive woes, the Kings get dusted in transition and crushed inside. That’s exactly what Minnesota proved on Nov. 9, racking up 32 fast break points and a whopping 64 points in the paint on their way to a 144-117 thumping.
Count on the Timberwolves to expose those same holes on Friday night, coasting to their fourth straight win in convincing fashion.
