The Philadelphia 76ers are in Minnesota on Tuesday night to take on the Timberwolves after their loss to the Trail Blazers on Monday night. The Sixers are 1-9 over their last ten games, with a surprising victory over the Warriors this past weekend sandwiched between a long losing streak that just may be starting fresh again. The Timberwolves haven’t faired much better lately, going just 3-7 over their last ten, but they are coming off a huge win over the Suns on Sunday.
Sixers game information
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (21-39) at Minnesota Timberwolves (33-29)
When: 8 p.m. EST
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally Sports North
Latest on the Sixers
When things couldn’t get any worse for a Sixers team that’s been decimated by injuries this season, Tyrese Maxey injured his back against the Trail Blazers on Monday night. Maxey, for all that he’s done for the team as it faced adversity this season, could use a few games off. He’s been battling a hand injury and has been shooting horribly over the past few games. He’s shot just 4-27 from the field and 1-9 on his three-point attempts over the past two games. Maxey needs a break to reset.
As far as the rest of the team, things haven’t been much better. Paul George is still battling a hand injury and missed Monday’s game with a groin injury. Kelly Oubre Jr. is day-to-day with an illness, and Justin Edwards reinjured his sprained ankle on Monday night. This year’s team has faced an uphill battle all season, and it’s not getting any better as they head down the final stretch of the regular season.
When the score sheet highlights the play of Andre Drummond, Lonnie Walker IV, and Jeff Dowtin, you have to know that things aren’t going well for the Sixers. Edwards, who’d missed a few games with his ankle injury, returned; he had 16 points and six rebounds before leaving with what appeared to be an injury to his ankle again. Drummond, given the starting role, came to play with 25 points and 18 rebounds in 29 minutes on the floor.
Latest on the Timberwolves
After making it to the conference finals last season, the Timberwolves expected to be one of the top teams in the conference again this year, but that hasn’t materialized. The team traded away Karl-Anthony Towns before the start of the season, and although Julius Randle is taking his place, the return is not what they expected.
Anthony Edwards is leading the team with 27.6 points per game to go along with 6.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists, but he’s not been able to do it on his own. Randle is having a nice season with 18.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game but is questionable against the Sixers. The team is getting contributions from Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Jaden McDaniels, and Mike Conley, but it hasn’t been enough. Rudy Gobert is averaging 11.0 points and 10.4 rebounds but is out with a back injury.
In their win over the Suns, Edwards, Divincenzo, and Randle combined for 88 of the team’s 116 points, which isn’t a recipe for success. They happened to have a good shooting night while the Suns were ice-cold from beyond the arc and turned the ball over 20 times during the game. The Wolves are going to have to step up if they’re going to move up the conference standings, as they’re currently in ninth place, tied with the Kings and Clippers, while just a half-game behind the Warriors. A little luck and some good wins could propel them into sixth place quickly.
What to watch for tonight
Anthony Edwards is always entertaining, as he’s one of the better young players in the league, but for the Sixers, the questions about who will play or how they’ll play are a big concern. Against a team like the Wolves, not having Maxey or George and maybe missing Oubre Jr. as well isn’t going to add up to any sort of success.
Quentin Grimes could give the fans some excitement as he’s quickly become a vital piece of the Sixers puzzle and would pair well with Maxey in the future. After a 44-point night against the Warriors, Grimes was quieter against the Blazers but still finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. Look for Grimes to be counted on heavily if the team is without Maxey. Andre Drummond should also, hopefully, be able to replicate his performance from Monday night, as the Wolves won’t have Gobert in the low post to defend.
The Sixers, despite being shorthanded as they are, could steal a win against a Timberwolves team that’s been almost as bad as the Sixers over the past few weeks. If the Sixers want to win, they’ll have to rely on ball movement and getting quality minutes from players that normally wouldn’t see many if the situation were a little different. The team cannot afford to get into a long-distance shooting contest with the Wolves, and with the lack of a real “go-to” player, the Sixers have to utilize everyone. This will be a game in which head coach Nick Nurse has to be at his best; if not, the results will not be pretty.
Prediction
Wolves 126 – Sixers 92
