PREMIUM
Rogers' Coach's Clinic SPECIAL ($25) >> 20-11-1 NBA Run!
(NBA) Minnesota vs. Washington,
Point Spread: -5.00 | -105.00 Washington (Home)
Result: Win
Point Spread: -5.00 | -105.00 Washington (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: The Washington Wizards had won nine of 12 games to reach .500 but lost 101-91 at Houston on Monday and then 113-105 to a 10-win Mavericks team the next night in Dallas, to enter tonight's home game vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves at 16-18. The Timberwolves lost 93-91 at the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night, falling to 11-24. Only the 11-25 Mavericks own a worse record in the West.
Minnesota: The T-wolves' latest setback came in the closing moments at Philly, as Robert Covington's jumper off an inbounds pass with 0.2 seconds remaining gave the 76ers the win. "We wanted the ball to go away from the basket. That didn't happen," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We needed some help on the curl, and we didn't get it." Thibodeau's defensive sermons have yet to sink in on this youthful but VERY talented team. What team doesn't covert the trio of Wiggins (21.7 & 4.0), Towns (21.6 & 11.6) and LaVine (21.1)? Or for that matter, the 6-11 Gorgui Dieng, who in just his fourth season is averaging 10.4 & 7.9. However, Minnesota limps into Washington having lost five of seven, after falling behind by 26 points at Philadelphia, before coming all the way back to tie it with 1.6 seconds left but losing on a buzzer-beater 93-91. "That has been our biggest challenge, to be a 48-minute team," Thibodeau told reporters, "and we're nowhere near that." He's right about that!
Washington: The Wizards' starters play more minutes than any team in the league other than tonight's opponent, the Timberwolves. Wall (23.5-4.5-10.0) and Beal (22.1) form a dynamic backcourt plus forwards Porter (14.1 & 6.6) and Morris (28.8 & 5.8) surround center Gortat (11.5 & 12.0), up front. However, like Minnesota, Washington is in the bottom third of the league in scoring defense (106.2 PPG ranks 23rd), while allowing opponents to shoot 46.9%, including 37.6% on threes (rank 26th in both categories). In fact, the Wizards allowed the lowly Mavericks to bury 17 three-pointers on Tuesday. "We got outworked. I haven't said that a lot about this team, but we got outworked," Wizards coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "They were moving the ball, and we were hoping that they would miss and not doing a very good job of making them miss."
The pick: The Timberwolves look great in spurts but struggle to put together 48 minutes representative of the talent level of the players. Meanwhile, the Wizards should be well-focused and not let their little "Texas two-step (or miss-step)" derail them. After all, Washington will take an eight-game home winning streak (also 8-0 ATS!) into this contest against a Minnesota team which has allowed at least 112 points in five of their last nine road games. Washington has reached triple digits in scoring during 17 of its last 21 games. Washington is an 8* play.
Minnesota: The T-wolves' latest setback came in the closing moments at Philly, as Robert Covington's jumper off an inbounds pass with 0.2 seconds remaining gave the 76ers the win. "We wanted the ball to go away from the basket. That didn't happen," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We needed some help on the curl, and we didn't get it." Thibodeau's defensive sermons have yet to sink in on this youthful but VERY talented team. What team doesn't covert the trio of Wiggins (21.7 & 4.0), Towns (21.6 & 11.6) and LaVine (21.1)? Or for that matter, the 6-11 Gorgui Dieng, who in just his fourth season is averaging 10.4 & 7.9. However, Minnesota limps into Washington having lost five of seven, after falling behind by 26 points at Philadelphia, before coming all the way back to tie it with 1.6 seconds left but losing on a buzzer-beater 93-91. "That has been our biggest challenge, to be a 48-minute team," Thibodeau told reporters, "and we're nowhere near that." He's right about that!
Washington: The Wizards' starters play more minutes than any team in the league other than tonight's opponent, the Timberwolves. Wall (23.5-4.5-10.0) and Beal (22.1) form a dynamic backcourt plus forwards Porter (14.1 & 6.6) and Morris (28.8 & 5.8) surround center Gortat (11.5 & 12.0), up front. However, like Minnesota, Washington is in the bottom third of the league in scoring defense (106.2 PPG ranks 23rd), while allowing opponents to shoot 46.9%, including 37.6% on threes (rank 26th in both categories). In fact, the Wizards allowed the lowly Mavericks to bury 17 three-pointers on Tuesday. "We got outworked. I haven't said that a lot about this team, but we got outworked," Wizards coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "They were moving the ball, and we were hoping that they would miss and not doing a very good job of making them miss."
The pick: The Timberwolves look great in spurts but struggle to put together 48 minutes representative of the talent level of the players. Meanwhile, the Wizards should be well-focused and not let their little "Texas two-step (or miss-step)" derail them. After all, Washington will take an eight-game home winning streak (also 8-0 ATS!) into this contest against a Minnesota team which has allowed at least 112 points in five of their last nine road games. Washington has reached triple digits in scoring during 17 of its last 21 games. Washington is an 8* play.
