Timberwolves at Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have dropped to 14th in the Western Conference after losing six of their last seven games but look to begin changing their fortunes when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. New Orleans took Houston down to the wire in a 108-104 setback on Saturday after All-Star Anthony Davis hit the go-ahead basket to beat Dallas 114-112 a day earlier.
“We’ve just got to continue on,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “I am, and no one is going to make me believe that we are not going to get it turned around, and we are not going to get some guys back healthy. … We’ll get guys back in roles they’re comfortable in. There’s still a lot of basketball left to be played, and I think we are going to be okay.” The Pelicans hope to end a five-game losing streak against the Timberwolves, who received a total of 48 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins in a 107-100 win over New Orleans on Nov. 14. Towns put together a monster performance on Sunday with 34 points, 18 rebounds, seven assists and six blocked shots as Minnesota bounced back from a rough loss against Atlanta with a 113-104 win at Miami in the opener of its three-game road trip. It was just the fifth victory in 18 games away from home for the Timberwolves, who have won three of their last four overall while averaging 116.5 points in those contests.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS North Plus (Minnesota), FS New Orleans
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (17-19): Towns is averaging 28.3 points and 19 rebounds over his last three games while Wiggins was one of six players to score in double figures (13 points) on Sunday but is shooting 33 percent over his last three contests. Second-leading scorer Derrick Rose (ankle) was held out of Sunday’s game while top assist man Jeff Teague (ankle) missed his seventh straight contest, and both are questionable to face New Orleans. Tyus Jones has raised his production level over the last three games, averaging 11 points - more than six above his season mark - and 5.3 assists.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (16-21): Davis has been especially productive over his last five games, averaging 31.6 points and 16.6 rebounds, and scored 29 in the first meeting with Minnesota last month. Jrue Holiday has averaged 22.5 points over his last four contests and Julius Randle 22.7 over his last three for New Orleans, which entered Sunday second in the league in scoring offense (116 points). E’Twaun Moore registered 21 points in Saturday’s loss - his highest total since scoring 30 against Philadelphia on Nov. 21 in a one-point defeat - and recorded 31 versus Minnesota one week earlier.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Minnesota F Robert Covington is averaging 22 points on 14-of-29 shooting over his last two games.
2. New Orleans F Nikola Mirotic (17.4 points, 9.2 rebounds) is expected to miss his ninth straight contest due to an ankle injury.
3. Wiggins needs 15 points to pass Kevin Love (6,989) for third place on the franchise list and is 25 shy of 7,000 for his career.