(4/5) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (4/5) San Antonio Spurs
The old against the new. That is what you can expect if the up-and-coming Wolves and old-school Spurs square off in round one.
While most fans would expect the Spurs to be an instant series win for the Wolves, in large part to the Spurs “down year” label, don’t get caught up in that idea.
For starters, the Spurs still won the season series against the Wolves, 2-1. One win came on opening night while the second win came in mid-March, a game in which Towns was dominated by LaMarcus Aldridge.
On average, all three games have been low-scoring. The Wolves have put up 99.3 points per game in three games against the Spurs this season, while the Spurs have scored 103.3 points per game in three meetings against the Wolves.
Both teams have shot the ball from the field just about the same and both teams have turned the ball over and stolen the ball just about the same amount of times per game also.
The biggest difference when facing the Spurs for the Wolves has been three-point shooting and free-throw shooting.
First, the good. The Wolves have shot on average 8-for-16.3 (49 percent) from three in games against the Spurs. On that note, they have held the Spurs to 7-for-23.7 (29.6 percent) shooting from three.
The bad for the Wolves has been shooting from the free throw line against the Spurs. On average, the Wolves are 14.7-of-19.7 (74.6 percent) from the against the Spurs, while San Antonio has capitalized from the line, hitting 14.3-of-16 (89.6 percent) of their foul shots against the Wolves. A bit out of character for Minnesota, to be sure.
Besides, it’s the Spurs in the playoffs, a place in which they are accustomed to being. The Wolves would need to make sure they don’t overlook the Spurs in any area, 3-point shooting, if they face them in round one.