Minnesota @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 27, 2019 ) Minnesota 123, Atlanta 131

The NBA season is only a month old, but the Minnesota Timberwolves already have endured significant injuries that sidelined key members of the roster entering Monday’s visit to the Atlanta Hawks. Minnesota dropped four of its past five after starting the season 7-4, falling 100-98 at home Saturday to Phoenix while playing without five of its top 10 scorers.

Among the missing Saturday for Minnesota were Josh Okogie (left knee soreness), Robert Covington (personal reasons), Treveon Graham (left arm contusion), Jake Layman (left toe sprain) and Shabazz Napier (right hamstring strain) – and an example of the impact was forward Keita Bates-Diop playing 37:06 after logging 38:03 all season. “It’s tough when you have a number of injuries when they’re all at one position in a way,” Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders told reporters postgame. “Then guys are playing out of their comfort zones. They did the best they could.” The Hawks responded Saturday to coach Lloyd Pierce challenging their effort after a 128-103 loss Friday at Detroit, pushing defending NBA champion Toronto before falling 119-116 as point guard Trae Young recorded a triple-double. “It sucks that we lost, but if we play like that, it’s going to be tough to beat us,” Young told reporters after finishing with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS North (Minneapolis), FS Southeast (Atlanta)

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (8-8): Bates-Diop took advantage of the increased playing time Saturday, scoring a career-high 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting. Center Karl-Anthony Towns ranks seventh in the NBA in scoring at 26.4 points and is sixth in rebounding at 12.4, and in his past six games is averaging 27.5 points and 12.8 rebounds on 56 percent shooting. Forward Andrew Wiggins totaled 43 points with three blocked shots in his past two games, after missing three games with illness.

ABOUT THE HAWKS (4-12): Young continues to excel despite Atlanta losing six in a row and 12 of its past 14, ranking third in the NBA in assists at 8.7 and 10th in scoring at 25.9 points. Rookie forward De’Andre Hunter shot 6-for-10 from 3-point range Saturday and finished with 26 points, and in his past three games is averaging 23.7 points while shooting 25-for-46 from the field and 10-for-18 on 3-point attempts. The Hawks are allowing an average of 117.7 points (26th in the league) and are 29th in turnovers per game (17.7).

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Atlanta rookie G Cam Reddish missed his second consecutive game with a left wrist sprain, and the Hawks continue to play without F John Collins (league suspension) and G Kevin Huerter (left rotator cuff strain).

2. Towns recorded his 4,000th career rebound Saturday, making him just the sixth player to reach 7,500 points, 4,000 rebounds and 500 blocks at age 24 or younger.

3. Atlanta swept the two-game series against Minnesota last season, winning both games in overtime.

PREDICTION: Hawks 112, Timberwolves 109