Game Preview #69: Wolves at Hawks

Game Info

• Who: Minnesota Timberwolves (34-34) at Atlanta Hawks (34-34)
• When: 6:30 PM CT
• TV: Bally Sports North (Michael Grady, Jim Petersen, Katie Storm)
• Radio: 830 AM WCCO
• Line: Wolves +5.5 | Total: 244.5 (courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

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Injury Reports

Minnesota

QUESTIONABLE

• Gobert - Left Ankle Sprain
• Nowell - Left Knee Tendinopathy

OUT:

• Garza - Two-Way Contract
• Ryan - Two-Way Contract
• Towns - Right Calf Strain

Atlanta

QUESTIONABLE:

• Bogdan Bogdanovic - Back Tightness

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What to Watch For

Coming off an overtime thriller against the Brooklyn Nets, the Timberwolves will look to get back in the win column against a Hawks team that is 3-3 since Quin Snyder took the head coaching reins.

The Hawks suffered a tough defeat against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night, losing by a score of 125-134.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Free Throw Shooting

As uninteresting as it may be, the Timberwolves’ free throw shooting will certainly be something to keep an eye on during Monday night’s contest.

Through their last seven games, Minnesota is shooting a dreadful 64.79% from the charity stripe.

Battle of the Backcourts

Atlanta’s Trae Young enters the matchup with Minnesota on a hot streak, as he’s averaging 29 points per game in his last four outings. He’s shooting 46.7% from beyond the arc in those games, shooting nearly 47%.

A scoring threat in his own right, Young will be one of two star guards hitting the court on Monday. Anthony Edwards has scored 32 points in each of the last two games, including his usual heavy dose of minutes and usage.

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

Continued Fight To Secure Playoff/Play-In Spot

With the Hawks at No. 8 and the Wolves at No. 7, it’s about that time of year where each game feels like it has a make-or-break impact. Each of these teams is in a closely-contested race in their respective conference, however it’s more so the case for Minnesota. They’re tied with Dallas, each holding a 34-34 record. The Lakers, Thunder and Jazz all have the same record and trail the Wolves/Mavericks by just one game.

Going upward, the Timberwolves trail the sixth-seeded Warriors by just one game, and the fifth-seeded Clippers by a game and a half.

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

Envisioning How Karl-Anthony Towns Fits In

Without reading too much into social media clips, it seems as if Karl-Anthony Towns is on the right track to a return to the court.

With a lack of consistent scoring outside of Edwards, it’s easy to envision KAT’s fit as another scoring threat next to the 21-year-old All-Star. The potential pick-and-pop game with Mike Conley, building a fit with Rudy Gobert, etc. will all begin to lurk in Timberwolves fans’ minds as they take on not only the Hawks on Monday, but future opponents.

It certainly won’t be plug-and-play, but likely a slow integration, which is difficult as the end of season draws near and playoff hopes hang in the balance.

Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images