Two groups which have positioned themselves to make uncommon playoff appearances hope to proceed to rise on the different’s expense when the Sacramento Kings go to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night time in Minneapolis.
It has been 17 years for the reason that Kings final skilled the NBA postseason (2006), whereas the Timberwolves have reached the playoffs simply twice since 2004. But each reside among the many successful golf equipment within the Western Conference because the calendar prepares to show to February.
Minnesota bought the higher of Sacramento on Saturday 117-110 within the opener of a three-day, same-site sequence. It was the primary of 4 conferences between the groups this season.
Two gamers trying to decide up votes from the coaches when All-Star Game reserves are introduced Thursday put their spectacular kinds on show within the sequence opener.
The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards was the sport’s main scorer with 34 factors to go together with 10 rebounds and 6 assists. He shot 14-for-21 on an evening when the hosts buried 52.5 % of their pictures.
A 3rd-year participant who has by no means been in an NBA All-Star Game, Edwards has raised his scoring to a career-best 24.7 factors by averaging 34.2 whereas capturing at a 54.0 % clip the previous 5 video games.
“I feel like I can’t miss right now, to be honest,” Edwards stated after Saturday’s win. “I don’t want to jinx myself, but right now, I feel like I just can’t miss. I put a lot of work in, man, so I’m happy it’s showing.”
The Timberwolves have received three in a row and 5 of the final six. They dealt with the Memphis Grizzlies and Kings, two of the highest groups within the West, to open a six-game homestand throughout which the reigning NBA champs (Golden State) and present No. 1 staff within the West (Denver) additionally might be visiting.
The Kings, whose present .563 successful proportion is sort of 200 factors increased than final 12 months’s .366, have stumbled these days, dropping three of 4. Saturday’s loss to the Timberwolves was the opener of their longest journey of the season — a seven-game tour that may take them to San Antonio, Indian, New Orleans and two in Houston. Sacramento had received its earlier three highway outings earlier than arriving in Minneapolis.
Like Edwards, Domantas Sabonis continued a season worthy of All-Star consideration on Saturday, posting 23 factors, 10 rebounds and 5 assists towards the Timberwolves. Sabonis leads the NBA with 37 double-doubles.
The Kings shot fairly properly in defeat (45.1 %), however that’s not the place the sport was misplaced, coach Mike Brown insisted.
“That is fool’s gold if we think as a team and organization that we’re going to just beat teams by outscoring them,” Brown stated. “It’s not going to happen, especially come playoff time. So, somehow, some way, I have to find combinations of players that can score and that are willing to get stops for us.”
After being acquired from the Indiana Pacers final February, Sabonis made his Sacramento debut in a house sport towards the Timberwolves on Feb. 9. He contributed 22 factors and 14 rebounds to a 132-119 win.
