HT Picture
“We’ve just got to get our energy back, man our swag,” Randle mentioned. “It’s crunch time in the season, and we’re kind of pressing … The energy is off. It’s funky. We’re not playing with that same spirit or the same confidence. We’ve got to find a way to get our swag back and just go out and dominate like we’ve been.”
Minnesota will intention for a greater outcome when it ideas off in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans for the second time in three days Friday evening in Minneapolis.
The groups performed on the identical courtroom on Wednesday evening, when the Pelicans prevailed 119-115.
It marked the second straight loss for the Timberwolves, who’re jockeying for playoff place in a aggressive Western Convention. The back-to-back defeats adopted eight straight wins for Minnesota.
“It’s weird,” Anthony Edwards mentioned. “We’ll be all right. We’ll bounce back.
“We have been taking part in nice for perhaps three weeks. I do not know what occurred, however one thing occurred with all of us. We’ll determine it out, hopefully before later.”
Edwards leads the Timberwolves with 27.6 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting, including 40 percent from beyond the 3-point line. Randle is next with 18.7 points per game, and Naz Reid ranks third with 14.6 points per game.
The Pelicans’ top scorer is Zion Williamson, who is averaging 24.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Minnesota had no answer on Wednesday for Williamson, who scored 29 points on 12-for-16 shooting.
CJ McCollum is the second-leading scorer among active players on the Pelicans. He is averaging 20.9 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting, including 37.5 percent from long distance.
New Orleans coach Willie Green said his team had plenty to gain in the final month of the regular season even though they’ve already been eliminated from postseason contention.
“We’re taking part in in opposition to groups which can be getting ready to play within the playoffs,” Green said. “That is a possibility for guys to step on the ground and see the place they measure up. The non-negotiables for us is we have to compete at a excessive stage and play collectively. Work and outwork and proceed to go after it and have enjoyable doing that.”
This will be the Pelicans’ second game since forward Trey Murphy III sustained a season-ending injury. Murphy tore the labrum in his right shoulder earlier this week against the Detroit Pistons.
“You attempt to transfer ahead,” Green said. “It is by committee. That will not be on one explicit participant. Guys will do it collectively. That is a part of the sweetness in basketball is you get an opportunity to step on the ground collectively and get after it. We’ll want guys to step up in Trey’s absence.”
Minnesota is 20-16 at house this season. New Orleans is 7-28 on the street.
Subject Degree Media