Off the back of snapping a seven-game losing streak, the Toronto Raptors will be looking to win back-to-back games for the first time this term when they welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Scotiabank Arena on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves will head to Toronto aiming to win three games on the bounce, which is something they have managed just once since the start of the regular season.
Match preview
Having taken defending champions Boston Celtics all the way to overtime before suffering an agonising 126-123 defeat courtesy of Jayson Tatum's buzzer-beating three-pointer, the Toronto Raptors entertained the challenge of the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
A season-high 69 points in the first half saw Darko Rajakovic's men go into the locker room with a 12-point advantage which formed the basis for a commanding 130-119 victory at the sound of the final buzzer.
Picking up from where they left off against the Celtics, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poltl were excellent once again, chipping in with 39 and 30 points respectively on a combined 26-39 shooting from the field to account for over half of the Raptors' points last time out.
While Tuesday's win saw the Raptors improve to a 3-12 record for the season, they remain bottom but one in the Eastern Conference standings, ahead of only the Philadelphia 76ers and the Washington Wizards, who have both played two games fewer.
A chance to end their two-game home stretch on a winning note awaits Friday's hosts before four straight away matches against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Detroit Pistons, the New Orleans Pelicans and the Miami Heat.
Just over 36 hours after beating the Sacramento Kings 130-126 in a thrilling contest, the Minnesota Timberwolves were back in action on Sunday night as they welcomed the Phoenix Suns to the Target Center.
Despite the absence of Kevin Durant for the Suns, Chris Finch's men were down by 10 at half time before a stunning second-half comeback, led by Anthony Edwards' 20-point performance, was completed by a Julius Randle game-winning three-pointer at the death.
Since losing three straight games against the Heat and the Portland Trailblazers (twice), the Timberwolves have now won consecutive matches to move up to 8-6 for the campaign and consequently, eighth in the West.
A third win in a row on Friday would surely be a huge confidence booster for last year's conference finalists ahead of their clash against the Celtics two days later, and the T-Wolves will fancy their chances of getting the job done having already beaten the Raptors this season.
Currently ranked 26th in the league for defensive rebounds, Friday's visitors will need to be aggressive on the glass against an opposing outfit who are second for offensive rebounds and have racked up the most points in the paint as well as second-chance points.
Toronto Raptors NBA form:
- L
- L
- L
- L
- L
- W
Minnesota Timberwolves NBA form:
- W
- L
- L
- L
- W
- W
Team News
DJ Carton and Bruno Fernando both missed the Raptors' last outing through ankle injuries, but the latter could be back available in time to feature on Friday.
However, Immanuel Quickley (elbow) and Bruce Brown (knee) are both guaranteed absentees for the home side, with the former set to be re-evaluated in one week.
Ja'Kobe Walter (shoulder), Kelly Olynyk (back) and Scottie Barnes (orbital fracture) are also expected to miss out for the Raptors and are all without a potential return date as it stands.
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards continues to lead the NBA in three-pointers made for the season (67), albeit now only two clear of nearest challenger Jayson Tatum.
Fresh from a season-high 35 points last time out, Julius Randle continues to settle in nicely with his new employers and will be looking to deliver the goods once again.
Toronto Raptors possible starting five:
Mitchell; Dick; Agbaji, Barrett; Poltl
Minnesota Timberwolves possible starting five:
Conley, Edwards; McDaniels, Randle; Gobert
We say: Timberwolves to win by 8+ points
The Raptors are without several key players at the moment and have it all to do against a Timberwolves side currently at full strength.
While we expect the hosts to put up a decent fight, we can see the away side cruising to a routine triumph in Toronto to make it three wins on the spin.
body check tags ::
Previews by email
Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!
