Lower than two weeks into 2026, it is protected to say that everybody is drained.
That features the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs. They are going to tip off Sunday night in Minneapolis after each groups performed someday earlier.
Minnesota is coming off a 146-134 loss on the street towards the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid scored 25 factors apiece, however it was not sufficient because the Cavaliers sprinted away with 83 factors within the second half alone.
In the meantime, San Antonio is coming off a 100-95 win on the street towards the Boston Celtics on Saturday. Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox scored 21 factors apiece within the win, and the Spurs boarded a aircraft for a late-night flight to Minnesota quickly after.
That is the second of three conferences between the groups this season.
Within the first matchup, the Timberwolves held on for a 125-112 win at house on Nov. 30. Edwards scored 32 factors on 13-for-18 taking pictures, and Julius Randle completed with 22 factors to associate with 12 assists and 6 rebounds.
Fox scored 25 factors to guide the Spurs of their first recreation towards Minnesota. Devin Vassell scored 22 factors on 10-for-20 taking pictures, and Keldon Johnson matched him with 22 factors off the bench on 8-for-13 taking pictures.
Edwards figures to be the highest possibility for the Timberwolves as soon as once more on Sunday night. He not too long ago surpassed 10,000 profession factors and is assured that he can proceed to enhance throughout his age-24 season.
“Now, it is simply enjoyable,” Edwards mentioned. “I do know they’ll entice me. No matter they’ll do, I’ve acquired to reply for it, so it is enjoyable now.”
Edwards mentioned a giant cause for the Timberwolves’ latest success has been the efficiency of starters akin to Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels.
“We’re spreading the ground, letting (Julius) be himself, be tremendous aggressive,” Edwards mentioned. “After which, ‘If you do not have something, simply discover us. We’re able to shoot.’
“And Jaden is enjoying extraordinarily effectively for us. We would like him to be tremendous aggressive, additionally. So, these two guys, it is simply actually attempting to slot in round them. I do know it sounds loopy, however I do not thoughts spacing the ground and catching and shoot, and enjoying off the catch, so simply spacing round them.”
The most important check for the Timberwolves on protection may very well be discovering a option to decelerate Wembanyama. He made eight of 17 pictures from the sphere, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three pictures within the win over the Celtics on Saturday.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson mentioned Wembanyama continued to enhance.
“When he is below management, he is so dynamic when he has the ball,” Johnson mentioned. “He can dictate the tempo or the tempo of the sport. I feel typically, he simply will get somewhat sped up.
“I do know it is arduous to say as a result of it is him, however any 21-year-old, and he is been out, not attending to play as a lot as he desires, so typically he is attempting to get proper by means of it. It is a continued development alternative for him.”
–Discipline Stage Media
