Full-strength Timberwolves aim to avenge a prior blowout loss to the Clippers.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are riding high heading into Thursday night's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome, sitting at 36-23 and fifth in the Western Conference with one of the healthiest rosters in the league.
Minnesota's only absences are three two-way players in Jules Bernard, Enrique Freeman, and Rocco Zikarsky, meaning Chris Finch will have his full rotation available.
That's a welcome sight for a Timberwolves team that dealt with some bumps earlier this month, including a Rudy Gobert suspension and a blowout home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on February 22.
Minnesota bounced back quickly from that, with a gritty 124-121 road win over Portland on Tuesday to get back in the win column.
Even Naz Reid, who was listed as questionable heading into that game, appears to be fully available for Thursday.
Edwards Keeps Rolling
Anthony Edwards has been the engine behind Minnesota's push all season, and he's only gotten better since the All-Star break, where he took home the MVP trophy.
Edwards is averaging 29.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on the year while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from three, and he's been averaging 34 points over his last three games.
In Tuesday's win over the Trail Blazers, Edwards finished with 34 points and hit a clutch three with under two minutes left to put the game away.
The supporting cast has been just as important for the Timberwolves, and the mid-season addition of Ayo Dosunmu from Chicago has given Minnesota a proven two-way contributor off the bench alongside Reid.
Donte DiVincenzo continues to be one of the best shooters in the league, ranking 10th in the NBA with 3.1 three-pointers per game, and his ability to space the floor has opened up driving lanes for Edwards and Julius Randle all season.
Revenge on the Mind
The Timberwolves have some unfinished business with the Clippers after what happened the last time these two teams met.
On February 8, Kawhi Leonard torched Minnesota for 41 points in a 115-96 blowout at Target Center, handing the Timberwolves one of their worst losses of the season.
The two teams split the season series heading into Thursday, with Minnesota winning the first meeting 109-106 on December 6.
The good news for the Timberwolves is that the Clippers are banged up.
Leonard is listed as questionable with the same left ankle soreness that has been bothering him since the Lakers game on February 20, and John Collins is also questionable with a head laceration and neck soreness, though he was upgraded from out in the Clippers' last game against the Orlando Magic.
Bradley Beal remains out with a left hip fracture and Darius Garland is sidelined with left toe management, meaning the Los Angeles Clippers could be without as many as four rotation players.
The Clippers have dropped two straight and sit at 27-30 on the season, clinging to the 10th spot in the West.
Minnesota's depth and health give them a clear advantage in this one, and if Edwards picks up where he left off in Portland, the Timberwolves have a great shot at taking the season series and building more distance between themselves and the pack behind them as the stretch run heats up heading into March.