Minnesota @ Orlando preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 22, 2017 ) Orlando 118, Minnesota 124

The flourishing Minnesota Timberwolves look to post their sixth consecutive victory and 13th in 16 games when they visit the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. Minnesota is fresh off the franchise's first 5-0 homestand since 2001 and the game in Orlando marks the first stop in which the team closes January with seven of nine on the road.

The Timberwolves won by an average of 17.8 points during a homestand that was highlighted by a 127-99 beat down of the Cleveland Cavaliers and ended with Sunday's convincing 120-103 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. "It's important to win everywhere, and 'are we building the right habits?'" Minnesota taskmaster coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "You want to make sure that you're thinking about that improvement each and every day so that you can be playing your best at the end." Orlando certainly isn't playing its best with seven straight losses and 27 of its last 31 games following an 8-4 start. The Magic slide continued with a 125-119 loss to Washington on Friday when the Wizards shot 56.8 percent from the field.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), FS Florida (Orlando)

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (29-16): Minnesota averaged 117 points during its five-game winning streak and stands just two victories shy of last season's total. Center Karl-Anthony Towns leads the NBA with 37 double-doubles while the offseason acquisition of All-Star guard Jimmy Butler helped elevate the club to a different level in terms of talent. "We know we've come a long ways, but we have some more levels we can go to," backup guard Jamal Crawford told reporters. "It's good to keep building good habits."

ABOUT THE MAGIC (12-31): Defensive issues have arisen during the seven-game skid with Orlando allowing an average of 115.9 points during the stretch. "It's not surprising because that's our weakness - the defensive end - and we've got to improve," Magic coach Frank Vogel told reporters. "We've got to keep working at it and we are working at it and we've got to keep following our assignments and doing it with toughness." Forward Aaron Gordon is just 14-of-49 shooting over the past three games but did shoot superbly in a 124-118 loss to the Timberwolves on Nov. 22 when he tallied 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Timberwolves have dropped eight of their last nine visits to Orlando.

2. Magic C Bismack Biyombo scored a season-best 21 points and also collected 13 rebounds in the loss to Washington.

3. Minnesota is just 6-10 against Eastern Conference foes compared to 23-6 against the West.

PREDICTION: Timberwolves 108, Magic 104