Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks: Odds, injuries, what to watch for

The Minnesota Timberwolves visit Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks on the front end of a winnable road back-to-back.

Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks: Odds, injuries, what to watch for

The Timberwolves had a disappointing start to last week with a loss at the buzzer to the lowly New Orleans Pelicans, followed by a late collapse against the streaking Memphis Grizzlies.

Then, the Wolves had the good fortune of facing the Golden State Warriors on Sunday without Steph Curry and Draymond Green. The Wolves led for much of the game and pulled away early in the fourth quarter behind strong performances from Karl-Anthony Towns and the Wolves reserve backcourt of Jaylen Nowell and Malik Beasley.

The visit to Madison Square Garden comes just 24 hours before a showdown with the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks and Hawks are a pair of Eastern Conference teams who have both disappointed relative to expectations so far this season, but they’re exactly the types of opponents the Wolves have been known to overlook at times.

As for the Knicks, well … just when they started to play better, winning five of six games, they were blown out on Monday by a Charlotte Hornets squad playing without LaMelo Ball.

There’s a chance that Cam Reddish makes his Knicks debut on Tuesday, but it’s more likely that he sits out. Both Kemba Walker and Nerlens Noel missed the game on Monday and are questionable for Tuesday night’s game.

Minnesota Timberwolves odds at New York Knicks

According to WynnBet, the Wolves are only 3.5-point favorites against the Knicks on Tuesday night, which is a mild surprise given the visiting team’s relative health and the home team on the second game of a back-to-back set. This is a game that the Wolves should win.

TV and streaming info for Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks

• Tip-off: 6:30CT
• Television: NBA TV, Bally Sports North
• Radio: 830 WCCO
• Stream: Fubo.tv offers streaming options

What to watch for in Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks

The Knicks are a strange offensive team. They rank in the top 10 in free throw rate, 3-point attempt rate, 3-point shooting percentage, and offensive rebound rate, but they are just No. 23 in overall offensive rating, according to Basketball-Reference.

The reason? They have not shot the ball well on 2-point attempts (No. 29 in the NBA) or at the free throw line (No. 22).

Still, it seems to be a somewhat fluky result for a team that has some talented offensive players. Derrick Rose has been out for some time, of course, and the Kemba Walker saga has been well-documented: first, he was a starter, then he was out of the rotation, then he was a start again, and now he’s hurt.

Julius Randle and RJ Barrett have both been somewhat disappointing. Obi Toppin is improving, albeit in a limited bench role. And Alec Burks has continued to be a nice surprise in his Knicks tenure.

If the Wolves can make life difficult for the Knicks on the perimeter and force them into difficult shots while avoiding allowing a parade to free throw line like they’ve done far too often this year, they should be in good shape.

With no Noel, it will be a major challenge for the Knicks to keep Towns from dominating in a similar fashion to what he did on Sunday against the Warriors.

Injury report for Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks

The Wolves have Jaylen Nowell listed as probable with the ankle sprain that caused him to miss last Thursday game, although he played (and played well) in the win over the Warriors on Sunday.

Jordan McLaughlin is in health and safety protocols, and Leandro Bolmaro is with the G League’s Iowa Wolves.

The Knicks are without Rose, and Randle, Noel, and Walker are all questionable to play.

We’ll be back after the game with key takeaways and player grades. Enjoy the game, and here’s to 22-22!