The Minnesota Timberwolves will carry a four-game road winning streak into Thursday’s contest when they open a season-high six-game trip against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.
The trip will start with an added challenge after forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out with left knee soreness.
The Timberwolves won the final four contests of a five-game road trip early last month before posting a 4-3 record during their season-long seven-game homestand that ended Monday against Portland.
Rudy Gobert collected 25 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks in Minnesota’s 119-114 win over the Trail Blazers. Gobert’s contributions were welcome given Towns was hampered by foul trouble and Anthony Edwards didn’t start because of a late arrival to the court.
Gobert was asked if he felt he needed to step up his game when Towns went to the bench early in the second quarter.
“No, I don’t feel I have to do more,” Gobert said, per the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. “I just have to be myself regardless if KAT is there or not. But obviously, sometimes if one of us is not there, we’re going to get opportunities.”
Gobert made the most of those opportunities, going 9-for-10 from the field and 7-for-7 from the foul line. He will be put to the test to deliver again against the Pacers while playing without Towns.
As for that one misfire from the floor that occurred late in Monday’s game?
“I thought it was going in, but it went out,” Gobert said. “It’s all right.”
Towns and Edwards were more than all right during Minnesota’s 127-109 victory over Indiana on Dec. 16. Towns contributed 40 points and 12 rebounds, and Edwards added 37 for the Timberwolves.
Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, who boasts team-leading averages in points (20.8) and assists (11.3), did not play in that game due to a bruised knee. He collected 19 points and 11 assists on Tuesday as the Pacers salvaged the finale of a three-game road trip with a 137-120 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
“We were due to play better,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “Last couple games have been tough, but the team made some very good adjustments for this game, and we were able to play faster and more aggressively and move the ball better.”
Myles Turner scored all 20 of his points in the first half and Pascal Siakam totaled 13 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for Indiana, which saw nine players record double-digit scoring totals.
“We needed it,” Carlisle said. “The bench was great. Obi (Toppin) and (rookie Ben Sheppard) are our two best runners. They’re our two best runners and ball movers, and that’s why they went in the game first. We needed speed. We needed guys getting to the corners and then making the right reads and movement from there. Both those guys did a great job.
“It allowed us to give Pascal two rests per half and I love the way he worked his way into the game. It wasn’t happening for him offensively right away, but he stayed patient and into the second half he had high impact.”
Siakam scored 15 points on 5-of-17 shooting from the floor to lead his former team, the Toronto Raptors, to a 97-94 victory over the Timberwolves on Oct. 25.
–Field Level Media
