The Minnesota Timberwolves are set to battle the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night in what promises to be an exciting start to their second-round playoff series. Minnesota enters as 7-point favorites on their home court, according to BetOnline odds.
Warriors vs. Timberwolves Game 1 kicks off at 9:30 p.m. ET from Target Center in Minneapolis. Fans can catch the action on TNT and truTV, or stream it free on Jazz Sports.
Both teams have a few injury concerns heading into the matchup. Golden State’s Gary Payton II is questionable with an illness, while Minnesota will be without Rob Dillingham, who’s been ruled out with an ankle injury.
The best-of-seven series will stay in Minnesota for Game 2 on Thursday before heading to San Francisco for games 3 and 4.
Golden State is riding high after an incredible Game 7 road win over Houston, pulling off a convincing 103-89 victory. They’ll have minimal rest though, with just one day between Sunday’s win and Tuesday’s opener.
The Warriors’ season has been a tale of two halves.
They were struggling at 25-26 when Jimmy Butler made his debut on February 8. Since then, they’ve been nearly unstoppable, winning 24 of 32 games to close the regular season before advancing through the play-in tournament and shocking the second-seeded Rockets.
"We’re excited. We’re thrilled," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. "When I think back to the trade deadline, where we were as a team, I’m so proud of these guys for what they’ve accomplished to put us in a position, as Steph says, to play meaningful basketball and give ourselves a chance. This is all you want every year: Do you have a chance? And we’ve got a chance with this group."
Minnesota’s playoff run has been fueled by Anthony Edwards, who’s averaging 26.8 points per game this postseason. He’s been remarkably efficient too, dishing out 31 assists against just six turnovers in their five-game series win over the Lakers.
Julius Randle has stepped up big time, putting up 22.6 points per game.
Jaden McDaniels is also making his presence felt, contributing 17.4 points per contest.
Despite Minnesota’s recent success, Golden State won the regular-season series 3-1. It’s worth noting, though, that all those games happened before the Warriors added Butler to their roster.
The Timberwolves come in hot, having won seven of their last eight games.
ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives Minnesota a slight edge, with a 51.9% chance of winning Game 1.
The Warriors have been dominant against Northwest Division teams, going 8-2 in their last 10 such matchups.
Minnesota, meanwhile, has been perfect at home lately, winning their last seven games at Target Center.
