Milwaukee @ Minnesota preview
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Last Meeting ( Feb 8, 2024 ) Minnesota 129, Milwaukee 105
The Minnesota Timberwolves will open a seven-game homestand with a matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks in both teams' first game back from the NBA All-Star break on Friday night in Minneapolis.
The Timberwolves sit atop the Western Conference with a 39-16 record, and they are dreaming big with 27 games left in the regular season.
Could they secure a No. 1 playoff seed? Could they make a legitimate run at the conference finals and beyond?
"We know why we're here," Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert said. "We're not here to just be first in the West. We're not here just to have a good year. We're here to try and win a championship, and everyone is aware of it, and everyone believes in it."
As they go for their fifth victory in a row, the Timberwolves likely will get a difficult test from Milwaukee. The Bucks lost their final two games before All-Star weekend and they are 3-7 since Doc Rivers took over as coach, but a long break could help the team hit the reset button as it also looks to be a title contender.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists to lead Milwaukee. Damian Lillard is next on the scoring list with 24.6 points per game to go along with a team-high 6.7 assists.
Lillard will appear in his first game since being named NBA All-Star Game MVP. It was the first such honor for the 33-year-old, who finished the game with 39 points on 14-for-26 shooting, including 11-for-23 from beyond the arc.
"I just told myself I'm going to be aggressive and I'm going to keep firing," Lillard said. "I saw a couple go in and after that it was just like, ‘I'm going after it.' That was it."
Lillard thinks a positive All-Star break can carry over into the second half for himself and his team as a whole.
"It's just been a good break," he said. "Just being around my family, being able to do the things I've always done.
"Going forward, you've got to recharge and get ready for the closing stretch and try to get our team where we need to be so we can go after what we want to accomplish this season."
Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns also will return from a successful weekend on the national stage. Towns scored 50 points in the All-Star Game while playing alongside teammate Anthony Edwards.
Edwards leads Minnesota with 26.3 points per game on the season. Towns is next with 22.5 points, and Gobert is averaging a double-double with 13.7 points and 12.5 rebounds.
This will be the first game for Timberwolves guard Mike Conley since he agreed to a two-year contract extension reportedly worth $11 million per year. Conley is averaging 10.6 points and 6.4 assists and has been praised by teammates and coaches as an important veteran presence in the locker room.
The Bucks also made a transaction during the break. They signed veteran forward Danilo Gallinari, who averaged 7.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 32 games this season with the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons.
In 760 career games, Gallinari has averaged 15.2 points and 4.7 rebounds. He will wear No. 12 for the Bucks.
--Field Level Media