Timberwolves at Kings
A pair of teams coming off double-digit losses of a very different nature meet Monday when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Sacramento Kings. While the Timberwolves scored a season-high 130 points in a 12-point loss at Houston on Saturday, the Kings were held to 85 in falling to Charlotte by 14 points at home.
"We have to win (games like this)," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "You score 130, and that's plenty of points, and the rebounding [a 58-31 edge for the Timberwolves] was really good. Turnovers got us." Thibodeau's team committed a season-high 25 turnovers and forced just 13 in spoiling an outstanding effort by center Karl-Anthony Towns (37 points, 22 rebounds) and falling to 8-18 on the road. The Kings are 1-1 since trading away All-Star DeMarcus Cousins but have won five of their last seven overall to get within 1 1/2 games of eighth-place Denver in the Western Conference playoff race entering Sunday, two games up on Minnesota. Sacramento won the first two meetings by a total of seven points.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (23-36): Towns was joined in the 30-point club Friday night by forward Andrew Wiggins, who has scored at least that many in four of his last seven games, giving the dynamic pair a combined scoring average to 47.4 points overall. "We've got the best chemistry we've ever had right now, and that's just working with each other and learning with each other," Towns told the media. "There are things I wish I could do that Andrew Wiggins can do. When you're passing and watching him do his work, it's an amazing sight." Towns and Wiggins combined for 35 points while making 1-of-11 from 3-point range in the 109-105 loss to Sacramento at home Dec. 23.
ABOUT THE KINGS (25-34): Sacramento's new-look squad shot 52.3 percent in its first game following the Cousins trade - a 116-100 win over Denver - before being held to 39.2 percent versus Charlotte. "We spent a lot of emotions on the game the other night," Kings coach Dave Joerger told the media. "Tonight was a situation where you got a veteran team, a physical team, and they pushed us around the court." Guard Buddy Hield is averaging 15.5 points while shooting 11-of-20 in two games since coming over from New Orleans in the deadline deal.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Timberwolves lead the all-time series 53-52.
2. Minnesota PF Gorgui Dieng recorded three of his 10 double-doubles in the last five games.
3. Kings PF Skal Labissiere had a career-high 12 points in the win over Denver and a career-high 13 rebounds in the loss to Charlotte.