Memphis chases a rare win streak against red-hot Minnesota, battling injuries and aiming to repeat February's surprising upset.
The Memphis Grizzlies have won two straight games and will try for their first three-game winning streak since Nov. 26-30 when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
Memphis beat the Dallas Mavericks and the Indiana Pacers in back-to-back games to get here. The Grizzlies knocked off Indiana 125-106 on Sunday behind 19 points from Taylor Hendricks, 18 from Jaylen Wells, and 14 assists from rookie Walter Clayton Jr. — tying the franchise's single-game rookie assist record and the most by any NBA rookie in a game this season. Coach Tuomas Iisalo has liked what he has seen from his group lately.
"You want the guys to give multiple efforts and always look to get back into situations," Iisalo said Sunday. "I thought we did overall as a team a great job of having our defense feed our offense. We were disruptive, and that triggered a lot of transitions. We won the possession game even though we were the smaller team through rebounds, through steals. I love the way we were sharing the ball. I think guys really enjoyed playing together."
Minnesota enters the game having won three straight, knocking off the Portland Trail Blazers, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Denver Nuggets on a road trip. The Timberwolves open a three-game homestand Tuesday that also includes games against the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic.
Anthony Edwards headlines a Timberwolves squad with serious playoff aspirations. Edwards is averaging a career-best 29.5 points per game on 49.3% shooting and took home Western Conference Player of the Week honors for his most recent three-game stretch. He also pointed to guard Bones Hyland as a player capable of breaking open a game off the bench, after Hyland scored 18 points in 16 minutes Sunday against Denver, making six of seven shots.
"He's one of those guys, if he sees one go in, he might have a big night," Edwards said of Hyland. "I feel like one of these games he's going to have a really big night for us, and it might come in the playoffs."
Minnesota will also welcome back veteran forward Kyle Anderson, who signed with the Timberwolves on Monday, one day after the Grizzlies bought out his contract.
The 32-year-old Anderson, nicknamed "Slow Mo" for his deliberate style of play, previously spent two seasons with Minnesota from 2022-24, averaging 7.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. It is uncertain whether he will be available on Tuesday, given the timing of the signing.
Memphis continues to play without guard Ja Morant, who has missed 17 consecutive games with a left elbow injury. The Grizzlies also announced Sunday that center Zach Edey will undergo a second surgery on his left ankle after sitting out since Dec. 7 with a stress reaction in the joint. Edey, who is averaging 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 11 games this season, is expected to make a full recovery. A timetable will be provided following surgery.
This is the fourth and final regular-season meeting between the two clubs. Memphis leads the series 2-1 and won the most recent matchup 137-128 on Feb. 2 at home.