Minnesota @ Memphis preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 23, 2019 ) Minnesota 112, Memphis 99

The Minnesota Timberwolves missed Karl-Anthony Towns in a disastrous performance at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday but are set to get their All-Star center back. Towns will be done serving his two-game suspension and is eligible to return to the lineup when the Timberwolves visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

Minnesota won its first game without Towns with a 131-109 thrashing of the Washington Wizards on Saturday but could not hang with one of the top teams in the East on Wednesday and was crushed 134-106. "Obviously, you want to win every game," Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders told reporters. "But when your best player is out, and you go 1-1? You feel good about that." The Grizzlies are losers of three straight and five of their first six games but are not getting discouraged. "We're a great team," rookie point guard Ja Morant told reporters after a 107-100 loss to Houston on Monday. "Every night, we're going to go out, no matter who's the opponent, and just give our all and do whatever we can to try to win. Nobody likes losing, but tonight I felt like we played as a team and competed well."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), FS South (Memphis)

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (4-2): Towns is averaging 27.3 points and 11.5 rebounds while shooting 52.9 percent from 3-point range and will be a welcome addition to a Minnesota team that shot 35.9 percent from the floor in Monday's setback. Forward Robert Covington (15 points on 5-of-9 shooting) was the only starter to shoot 50 percent or better from the floor in the setback but shooting guard Andrew Wiggins continued his solid play with 25 points on 10-of-21 shooting. Wiggins scored 20 or more points in four of the first six games and is 8-of-16 from 3-point range over the last two contests.

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (1-5): Morant led the way with 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting on Monday and is averaging 19.5 points on 53.4 percent shooting. "I've been in love with my game since I started playing basketball," Morant told reporters. "Through the years, just kept learning, trying to get better, each and every day. Feel like there's always room for improvement. Study film tonight, see where I can get better. Come out next game, just try to be better at that." Morant's 117 points are the most through six games for a rookie in franchise history.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Timberwolves PG Shabazz Napier (hamstring) is day-to-day.

2. Grizzlies PF Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) sat out Monday and is questionable for Wednesday.

3. The teams split four meetings last season with Towns averaging 22.5 points and 17.8 rebounds.

PREDICTION: Timberwolves 118, Grizzlies 106