The Minnesota Timberwolves (17-37) will be at home when they face the Boston Celtics (32-23). Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 22 and can be seen on CNE and FNo.
The Timberwolves enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Raptors 117-112 in their last matchup. Karl-Anthony Towns played a pivotal role, recording his 30th double-double of the season with 35 points and 11 rebounds. The Celtics, meanwhile, are coming off a 139-134 win against the Clippers in their last game. Isaiah Thomas claimed his sixth double-double of the season with 36 points and 11 assists.
Over the last five games, a number of players have been better than usual for the Timberwolves. Towns has led the way, averaging 22.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.0 blocks. Andrew Wiggins (24.6 PTS, 2.6 REB, 1.6 AST, 0.6 STL, 1.4 BLK, and 0.8 3PM) and Gorgui Dieng (16.2 PTS, 10.2 REB, 4.4 AST, 0.6 STL, and 0.6 BLK) have also played at a high level.
The physical Timberwolves offense might be getting to the charity stripe a lot in this one. They rank second in the league at getting to the line (free throw attempt rate of 33.4), while Boston is among the NBA’s most foul-prone teams (giving up a 29th-ranked free throw attempt rate of 31.6).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first matchup 113-99. Towns had a double-double in the loss with 25 points and 16 rebounds.
The Timberwolves come into this game 17-39 Straight Up (SU) and 24-31-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Timberwolves have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 112.2 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 100.4 points per game. The Timberwolves have made 1,162 free throws this season (21.0 per game), which leads the league.
Over on the other bench, the Celtics have a record of 31-24-2 ATS and 33-24 SU. Against the Western Conference, Boston is 33-24 SU and 31-24-2 ATS. Offensively, they average 105.8 points per game, which is good for fourth in the league. The Celtics convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking fifth in the league at .790. The Celtics are an unselfish team with an average of 24.7 assists per game, ranking fifth in the NBA. The Celtics average 101.7 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 109.1 points per game during that span. The Celtics have one of the best opponent three-point field goal percentages in the league at .325. Boston is the third-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 18.9 per game.
In their previous meeting this season, Boston beat Minnesota, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 7-3. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – Bos
Notes
On average, Boston puts up 105.8 points per game (ranked fourth). Minnesota ranks 23rd in points allowed per game with 104.1.
Boston puts up an average of 105.4 points per away game (ranked fifth). Minnesota ranks 23rd in points allowed per home game with 103.8.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Boston Celtics are a stellar 24-3. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Minnesota Timberwolves have an abysmal record of 4-21.
At 8-20, the Boston Celtics have a poor record when their opponents score 100 points or more. The Minnesota Timberwolves are 13-16 when they hit the century mark.
The Timberwolves have a defensive rating of 106.7 (ranked 25th), while the Celtics rank 12th for their offensive rating of 103.8.
Minnesota has an average field goal percentage of 45.7% (ranked 10th). Boston is a subpar 4-14 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rank higher in field goal percentage (10th) than effective field goal percentage (22nd), while the Boston Celtics rank the same for both metrics (21st).
The Boston Celtics, ranked fifth in the NBA, average 24.7 assists per game. The Minnesota Timberwolves make 22.4 assists (ranked 10th).
The Minnesota Timberwolves average 4.5 blocks per game for a rank of 19th. The Boston Celtics rank lower (23rd), earning 4.2 blocks each game.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rank 19th in offensive rebounding, while the Boston Celtics rank 11th in defensive rebounding.
The Boston Celtics average 9.5 steals per game (ranked second). The Minnesota Timberwolves have a subpar 7-14 record when they allow at least 9 steals.
