Kings at Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves could not salvage anything from their four-game road trip but hope to turn around their fortunes when they return home on Monday for a matchup against the surging Sacramento Kings. The Timberwolves dropped a 107-99 decision at league-worst Phoenix on Saturday to end a trek during which they allowed an average of 119.3 points, but they have been tough to beat at home (11-4) this season.
Minnesota went 9-3 over its first 12 games after trading All-Star guard Jimmy Butler, but leading scorer Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters after Saturday’s loss: “I think right now, we got too loose. We’re too cool for school.” Now with Philadelphia, Butler played his final game for the Timberwolves on Nov. 9 in a 121-110 win by host Sacramento, which has put itself in position to fight for its first playoff spot since 2005-06. The Kings have won six of their last eight games, including a 141-130 home triumph over Minnesota on Wednesday and a 120-113 victory at Dallas four days later in which Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox each scored 28 points. Hield, the sixth overall pick in the 2016 draft by New Orleans, has recorded at least 20 points in six of his last seven contests and leads the Kings at 19.2 per game.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Sacramento), FS North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE KINGS (16-13): Hield connected on 31 shots from 3-point range in eight games this month and Fox has shot at least 50 percent from the field in five of his last six contests, averaging 23.2 points in that stretch. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 15 points in Sunday’s win and is averaging 16.9 over his last 10 games while Nemanja Bjelica has produced 19.3 per contest over his last three, converting 20-of-34 shots in the process. Rookie forward Marvin Bagley III, who is averaging 12.7 points, missed the win over Dallas with a bruised knee and will be re-evaluated in 10-to-14 days.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (13-16): Derrick Rose told reporters Minnesota did not play with enough urgency on the trip, but the veteran guard averaged 22 points over the last three games to push his season mark to 18.7. Towns leads the team in scoring (21.7 points - including 25.1 this month) and rebounds (11.8) while Andrew Wiggins checks in at 16.3 points per contest - 19.7 in December. Robert Covington, who was acquired in the trade for Butler, is just 9-for-28 from the field in his last three games, but coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters: “Physically, now he’s good, and he’s just got to get his basketball rhythm back.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Sacramento C Willie Cauley-Stein is averaging 10.4 rebounds over his last five games and shooting 56 percent in his past nine.
2. Minnesota F Taj Gibson (10.4 points, 6.9 rebounds) missed Saturday’s game for personal reasons but is expected to play against the Kings.
3. Sacramento SG Iman Shumpert was scratched from the win over Dallas with a hip contusion and is questionable for Monday's contest.