The Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to improve their home performance after a disappointing season so far. Last year, they dominated at home with a 30-11 record, but this season, they have struggled with a 12-12 record at home and have had trouble building momentum.
The Timberwolves will face the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night in Minneapolis, hoping to turn things around.
“Our defensive energy is just not where it needs to be,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “We’re bottom three or five in transition, rebounding, on-ball defense, off-ball pursuit. It’s all about effort.”
This will be the third game in a five-game homestand for Minnesota. The Timberwolves have already lost the first two games: a 105-103 defeat to the league-worst Washington Wizards on Saturday and a 116-114 loss to the shorthanded Sacramento Kings on Monday.
Now, they face the Bulls, who will also be playing with a depleted roster after a trade sent Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings. The Bulls received Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, and Tre Jones in the deal, but none of them are expected to play on Wednesday as the Bulls’ front office considers making additional moves before the Thursday trade deadline.
The Timberwolves are also keeping an eye on the trade deadline, looking for ways to strengthen their roster as they aim to compete in the Western Conference playoffs.
Timberwolves guard Mike Conley said he and his teammates know this week could be unpredictable, especially after a surprising trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.
“I told the team, put your phones on loud and be ready for anything,” Conley said. “When you see trades like that, it puts us all on alert to stay focused.”
Anthony Edwards will be looking to bounce back after a rough shooting performance in the Sacramento game, where he shot 7-for-21 after returning from an illness. Despite feeling tired afterward, Edwards is confident he will perform better going forward. Edwards leads the Timberwolves with an average of 26.5 points per game.
Julius Randle, who is second on the team with 18.9 points per game, is out with a groin injury, and Donte DiVincenzo is also out with a toe injury. DiVincenzo averages 11.0 points per game.
The Bulls, on the other hand, will be looking for their second win in as many nights after a 133-124 victory over the Miami Heat on Tuesday in Chicago. Rookie Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey each scored 24 points in the win.
Buzelis, who will participate in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star weekend, has stepped up his game after a slow start to the season.
“My confidence is high right now, but you’ve got to stay humble,” Buzelis said. “My dad always tells me the sun comes up tomorrow, so you’ve got to go back to work.”
