Wizards (41-24) at Wolves (28-37)
March 13, 2017 at 8:00 PM Target Center | Minneapolis, MN TV: CSN Mid-Atlantic Radio: 1500 AM
Last time they met was..
January 6, 2017 - Verizon Center, Washington, DC: Wizards 112, Wolves 105
What to watch:
The Wizards sweep a 5-game west coast road trip!?
The last two pregame posts I couldn't help but to redundantly speak about the perseverance and resilience of Scott Brooks' basketball team. The Wizards honestly had no business winning any of their past four road games, but deserved to win all of them. Their absolute negligence to lose basketball games has been nothing short of remarkable and worth every bit of reverence.
Tonight, the Wizards conclude the road trip against the young, free, and talented Timberwolves. Minnesota currently sits at 27-38 with glimmer of playoff hope as they trail the 8-seed Nuggets by 3.5 games. The Wolves were riding the momentum of back-to-back victories over conference powerhouses Golden State and the Clippers last week, but were diffused by their loss to the Bucks on Saturday night.
Key Matchup:
Otto Porter vs. Andrew Wiggins
Let's face the facts. Andrew Wiggins absolutely trashed Otto Porter in their January 6 matchup. Wiggins finished with 41 points that night on 16 made buckets, 13 of which were scored deliberately over Otto Porter. The phenom from Canada gave it to Otto every which way possible, via strong post-ups and turnaround fadeways, losing Otto on backdoor cuts for easy dunks, nailing jumpers dead in his face, getting and-1's at the rim.
For the season, well, Wiggins his having his best one yet. He's accumulating career highs in virtually every major statistical category including points per game, field goal percentage, 3PT percentage, free throw percentage, assists, and minutes played. His 41 against Washington was one of four games this season he's eclipsed the 40-point mark, with a career-high of 47 scored against the Lakers earlier this season. Synopsis: he's good.
Lest we ignore, however, Otto's breakout season as well. Otto maintains his stature as the league's top 3-point marksman and after a brief glitch in production, has returned to his normal self, averaging 19.3 points per game in his last three games, shooting at a 62.5% clip and hitting on 6 of his last 11 three's.
Tonight in Minny, there's no question Wiggins remembers how bruised and battered he left Otto in DC. Let's just hope Otto remembers the savagery as well.
X-Factor:
Early flight check-in.
As a frequent traveler, and one who travels for prolonged stretches at a time, I can confess that few things are as euphoric as the last night of a business trip knowing your next stop is home. You get your bags ready the night before, you make sure you've checked in to your flight at exactly 24-hours before departure because, basically, you're already mentally checked out.
Let's hope the Wizards act nothing like this. The Wolves are young, hungry, and feisty, and judging off what I just relayed in the 'Key Matchup' segment with Andrew Wiggins, they'll be predating. I've talked about sustenance and persevering for this entire road trip, and Washington has done nothing to make one doubt they can't do it again if necessary tonight, but it's not something you want to bank on. Bring us home, Wizards.
Fun Factor:
Basketball on ice?
A Wolves-Blazers game at the Target Center in Minneapolis was recently postponed due to a "slippery floor caused by condensation from the ice temporarily installed below the court for both hockey and Disney on Ice," per a report from Canis Hoopus.
Prediction:
The Wizards do the unpredictable, they don't check in to their flights early. But they also go home undefeated on this road trip.