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The Minnesota Timberwolves will face the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Thursday.
It has been a tough season for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who own the worst record in the NBA at 7-29. They will be hoping that their fortunes change at the midway point of the season, starting with their game against the Pelicans.
The New Orleans Pelicans are looking to get back to .500 by winning their next few assignments. It has been an up-and-down season for their impressionable set of youngsters, who are still learning what it takes to win. The expectations are high and the Pelicans have a chance to prove that they deserve all the attention they are getting from the television networks.
Match Details
Fixture - Minnesota Timberwolves vs New Orleans Pelicans | 2020-21 NBA Season
Date & Time - Thursday, March 11th, 8:00 PM ET (Friday, March 12th, 6:30 AM IST)
Venue - Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Minnesota Timberwolves Preview
The Minnesota Timberwolves are looking forward to breaking out of their slump, having lost nine straight games and 13 of their last 14 matchups.
Head coach Chris Finch said that he’s “going to play the guys that can compete the hardest,” threatening to shorten the rotation if necessary in order to get the most out of his team.
This strategy might be the best solution for the Minnesota Timberwolves right now as it would give the individual players something to fight for when they’re on the floor.
They will have to be sharper and more focused than ever as the New Orleans Pelicans are not easy opponents to match up with, particularly because of standouts Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.
Key Player - Karl-Anthony Towns
It has been a trying year for Karl-Anthony Towns because of the pandemic but it’s been made more difficult by all the losses that he has had to endure with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Towns puts up nightly double-doubles, but they haven’t resulted in many wins.
He is averaging 22.0 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in his sixth campaign with the Minnesota Timberwolves. It’s not his best season by far, but he is still one of the few players to average 20-10 this year.
Against the New Orleans Pelicans, he’ll be matched up against the very physical Steven Adams, who he will have to draw out of the paint.
Minnesota Timberwolves Predicted Lineup
G Ricky Rubio, G Anthony Edwards, F Jake Layman, F Jarred Vanderbilt, C Karl-Anthony Towns
New Orleans Pelicans Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans will hope that the All-Star break has given them a hungrier and more competitive mindset heading into their matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Pelicans have lost four of their last five games before the break and will need to tighten up their defense if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Brandon Ingram should be highly motivated after being snubbed for the All-Star Game. He should use the coming games as an opportunity to prove the voters wrong. Josh Hart has played extremely well, shooting-wise, in the last 10 games for the New Orleans Pelicans, but he needs to be a better ball-distributor.
Key Player - Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson looked like he had the jitters in his first NBA All-Star Game. He missed several dunks early on but managed to make up for them by putting up 10 points in 14 minutes of action. The All-Star experience will be good for the sophomore forward as he leads the New Orleans Pelicans to a potential playoff appearance.
Williamson is slowly becoming comfortable with being the leader of the New Orleans Pelicans, but he will have to be more demanding of his teammates. His coaches and teammates will have to give him permission to do so if they are truly going to use him as their foundation.
At the same time, Williamson will have to be accountable on the defensive end, too. No more missed assignments and no more being late on closeouts. As they face the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves, Williamson should display the lessons he learned from joining the ranks of the best in the league last weekend.
New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Lineup
G Lonzo Ball, G Eric Bledsoe, F Brandon Ingram, F Zion Williamson C Steven Adams
Timberwolves vs Pelicans Match Prediction
The Minnesota Timberwolves will be a more determined squad when they battle the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday. The Timberwolves' nine-game losing streak will end eventually, and they should use this game as the starting point for a more successful campaign.
However, the New Orleans Pelicans will be just as determined to put their two-game losing streak behind them. Talent-wise, the Pelicans has the advantage over the Timberwolves. However, the New Orleans Pelicans’ defense is bad enough that the Minessota Timberwolves have a fighting chance. Nevertheless, the Pelicans still won 15 of their 36 games because of their elite offense.
In the end, expect the New Orleans Pelicans to protect their home floor against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are still adapting to a new system under a new coach.
Where to Watch Timberwolves vs Pelicans
The game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans will be shown locally by FOX Sports North and FOX Sports New Orleans. International audiences can watch the game on NBA League Pass.
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