A pair of Western Conference teams off to stronger than expected starts take the floor in search of a win in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The New Orleans Pelicans are on the road as they make the trip north to face the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday night. New Orleans was outgunned 134-116 on the road by Denver in their previous contest Monday night, failing to cover the line as a 6.5-point underdog. Minnesota took down Boston 114-109 in overtime at home in their previous contest Monday night, winning outright as a three-point underdog. In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the Pelicans own a 37-34 advantage but the Timberwolves won the last two meetings. That includes a 113-108 home win in the most recent matchup on April 9, 2023.

New Orleans Pelicans Try to Get Back in Win Column

New Orleans played terrific basketball for a half against the Nuggets on the road in their previous game before the wheels fell off in the second half, sending them to a second straight defeat. The Pelicans fell to 4-3 on the season and stand second in the Southwest Division, two games behind the Mavericks for the top spot. Against Denver, New Orleans led by two after the opening quarter, by as many as 20 with 4:43 to play in the first half and by 12 at intermission. The Pelicans crumbled in the second half, getting outscored 75-45 the rest of the way, to end up with the loss. New Orleans shot an even 50% from the field, including 13 of 30 from three-point range, but lost the rebounding battle 45-38 while allowing Denver to shoot 53.7% in the game. Jordan Hawkins led the Pelicans with 31 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

On the season, the Pelicans are 22^nd in the league in scoring offense as they average 109.3 points per game on the season. New Orleans is 21^st in rebounding by collecting 43 boards a night while the team ranks 25^th in assists by dishing out 23.3 dimes a night. The Pelicans are 18^th in the league in scoring defense as they allow 114.3 points per game so far this year. Brandon Ingram puts up 20.8 points plus 5.8 boards per contest this season while Zion Williamson adds 21.8 points plus seven rebounds a night. CJ McCollum (21.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists), Jonas Valanciunas (12.1 points, 8.9 rebounds) and Jordan Hawkins (12.6 points) are solid secondary scoring options. Herbert Jones (10 points), Matt Ryan (10 points), Dyson Daniels, Kira Lewis Jr., Larry Nance Jr. and Cody Zeller are key pieces in the Pelicans’ rotation. New Orleans is 23^rd in field goal percentage by shooting 45.4% from the field as a team this season. The Pelicans are 22^nd in the league in threes per game as they knock down 11.6 triples per contest and stand 22^nd in three-point shooting by hitting 33.9% percent from beyond the arc.

Trey Murphy III (knee) had surgery to repair a torn meniscus and is expected to be out until mid-November. Najj Marshall (knee) has a bone bruise and is expected to be out of action until mid-November. Jose Alvarado (ankle) has yet to take the floor this season and is out indefinitely. McCollum (lung) missed Monday’s game and doesn’t have a timetable for return at this point. Watch for any information about his status heading into tip-off.

Minnesota Timberwolves Shoot for Fourth Straight Victory

Minnesota took down Boston in overtime at home Monday night for their third straight win. The Timberwolves improved to 4-2 on the season and stood second in the Northwest Division, two games behind the Nuggets for the top spot in the division. Against Boston, Minnesota led by three after the opening quarter, trailed by three at the half and led by five after three quarters only to wind up in overtime. During the extra session, the Timberwolves used a 9-0 run to take control of the game and went on to victory. Minnesota shot 51.8% from the field, including 13 of 37 from three-point range, and limited Boston to 39.1% shooting in the game. The Timberwolves managed to earn the win despite turning the ball over 23 times and missing 12 of their 25 free throw attempts in the game. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 38 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the victory.

For the year, Minnesota is 20^th in the league in scoring offense with 110 points per game. The Timberwolves stand 5^th in rebounding by pulling down 47 boards a contest while they are 23^rd in assists by handing out 24.2 dimes a contest. Minnesota has been above average on the defensive end of the floor as they are 1^st in scoring defense by allowing 101.2 points per game. Anthony Edwards leads the team in scoring as he averages 28.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists per contest. Karl-Anthony Towns (16.7 points, 9.2 rebounds), Mike Conley (10.5 points, 4.3 assists), Rudy Gobert (12 points, 12.3 rebounds) and Naz Reid (15.7 points, 4.5 rebounds) are decent secondary options on the offensive end of the floor. Jaden McDaniels (10.8 points), Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kyle Anderson, Shake Milton, Troy Brown Jr. and Jordan McLaughlin are part of the rotation. The Timberwolves are 13^th in the league in field goal percentage as they hit 47.4% from the floor as a team. Minnesota is 25^th by splashing 11 three-pointers a night while the team is 13^th in three-point shooting by hitting 36.7% from beyond the arc.

McLaughlin (knee) is questionable for this contest after leaving the Boston game November 6. Clark (Achilles) is expected to be out until mid-February after suffering an injury while still at UCLA. Watch for updates on McDaniels’ status leading to tip-off.