Timberwolves at Bucks
The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Milwaukee Bucks are not battling for playoff spots in their respective conferences but have two of the most exciting young rosters in the NBA. The two improving teams will put their talent up against each other when the Bucks host the Timberwolves on Friday.
Minnesota has the No. 1 picks from each of the last two drafts in guard Andrew Wiggins and center Karl-Anthony Towns headlining a young group that also includes 20-year-old dunk champion Zach LaVine and veterans Shabazz Muhammad (23 years old), Gorgui Dieng (26) and Ricky Rubio (25) in prominent roles. Those six logged the most minutes again on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards and all but Dieng (six points, eight rebounds and five assists) scored in double figures in a 104-99 loss. Milwaukee forward Jabari Parker was the No. 2 overall pick behind Wiggins in the 2014 draft and is beginning to have his breakout after recovering from knee surgery. Parker is averaging 22.1 points in the last seven games and shot 50 percent or better from the floor in all but one of those contests.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (19-42): Minnesota has given its team over almost entirely to young players and is willing to deal with the short term setbacks while watching Towns average 17.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in a campaign destined to end in a Rookie of the Year Award. That would make two straight Rookies of the Year for the Timberwolves after last year’s winner Wiggins, who leads the team in scoring at 20.7 points. LaVine has been thrust into the starting five in a three-guard unit alongside Rubio and Wiggins and went over 20 points in two of the last three contests.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (25-36): Milwaukee began the season with playoff aspirations but finds itself six games behind the No. 8 spot in the East with 21 games left. The Bucks can still look toward a positive future thanks to the healthy return of Parker and the continued emergence of 21-year-old nominal small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. The “Greek Freak” has spent time since the All-Star break playing point guard with the first unit and is averaging 17.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 7.8 assists in the last five games with a pair of triple-doubles.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bucks G Khris Middleton is averaging 25 points in the last four games.
2. Rubio scored 22 points in Wednesday’s loss to mark his first 20-plus performance since opening night at the Los Angeles Lakers.
3. Milwaukee has taken three straight in the series, including a 95-85 win at Minnesota on Jan. 2.