Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: game preview and how to watch
The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to interrupt their three-game dropping streak as they welcome the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves to city.
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (8-4) at Minnesota Timberwolves (5-8)
The place: Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
When: 6 p.m. EST
TV: Bally Sports activities Ohio, Bally Sports activities+, NBA League Cross
Opposing weblog: Canis Hoopus
Cavs’ anticipated beginning lineup: Darius Garland / Donovan Mitchell / Caris LeVert / Evan Mobley / Jarrett Allen
Cavs’ harm report: Donovan Mitchell (QUESTIONABLE – proper ankle), Jarrett Allen (QUESTIONABLE – left ankle), Dean Wade (QUESTIONABLE – left knee), Ricky Rubio (OUT – ACL), Isaiah Mobley (OUT – G League Task), Mamadi Diakite (OUT – G League Task), Dylan Windler (OUT – proper ankle)
T-Wolves’ anticipated beginning lineup: D’Angelo Russell / Anthony Edwards / Jaden McDaniels / Karl-Anthony Cities / Rudy Gobert
T-Wolves’ harm report: Naz Reid (QUESTIONABLE – sickness), Josh Minott (OUT – G League Task), Wendell Moore Jr. (OUT – G League Task)
What to observe for
Darius Garland’s hunch. It was a tough highway journey for Garland as he averaged 16 factors on .333/.259/.833 taking pictures splits with 8.8 assists and three.5 turnovers in 4 video games.
Garland is not the Cavs’ finest participant, however he’ll should be nearer to the man he was final season for this crew to achieve its potential. You by no means wish to blame one participant for the way video games prove, nevertheless it’s protected to say the outcomes might’ve been totally different within the final three video games if Garland seems to be extra just like the man we’ve come to count on.
It has been a troublesome begin to the season for Garland as he’s missed six video games with an eye fixed harm and has performed his previous few video games beneath the climate. We’ll see if getting again house will assist him get away of this funk.
Minnesota’s unhealthy vibes. Issues should not going nicely in Minnesota because the Wolves have dropped three video games in a row and 6 of their final seven.
The Wolves have been fairly unhealthy this season and are removed from the crew they have been hoping to be after buying and selling for Rudy Gobert. They’ve the twentieth internet ranking (-1.0), twenty second offense (111.1) and sixteenth protection (112.1). There’s been an adjustment interval for Karl Anthony-Cities and Gobert sharing the ground collectively which has resulted within the offense scoring a poor 103.8 factors per 100 possessions when the duo shares the ground.
The frontcourt battle. We don’t usually get to see 4 seven-footers on the courtroom collectively like we’ll on this matchup. The Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Cities frontcourt hasn’t gotten off to the beginning they might have wished, however they’re each extremely expert seven-footers in very other ways.
It’ll be attention-grabbing to see how Mobley and Allen match up with the 2. Extra particularly, will Mobley attempt to assault KAT in area offensively? May we see the return of the Mobley and Allen pick-and-roll? This would appear like a enjoyable time to mud that off.
Donovan Mitchell vs. Rudy Gobert. It’s all the time attention-grabbing to observe two high-level former teammates go at one another for the primary time. We get that tonight as Mitchell and Gobert shall be on reverse sides after main many profitable Utah Jazz groups to 50-plus wins however by no means with the ability to advance out of the second spherical of the playoffs.
There have been rumblings for years now that there was a rift in Mitchell and Gobert’s relationship, however Mitchell lately instructed Sam Amick of the Athletic that there isn’t any unhealthy blood between the 2:
, we gave Utah a number of particular moments. However , we didn’t get the job accomplished. Him and I’ve a fantastic relationship, regardless of what individuals could really feel. On the courtroom, it didn’t work. I don’t hate Rudy. He doesn’t hate me. It was simply a type of issues the place it simply didn’t work out, and I really feel like we stay in a world the place all people’s gotta hate one another and there’s gotta be some unfavourable factor and that’s simply not the case. After I see him on Sunday, I’m gonna give him a hug and smile and chuckle. And after we’re on the courtroom, it’s time to go at it. That’s actually what it’s.
Mitchell has performed his finest in huge video games this season. We’ll see if he provides that very same type of therapy to Gobert and his new crew tonight.