Timberwolves Face A Tough Test While Shorthanded Against San Antonio

As the Timberwolves and Spurs prepare for their Halloween showdown, key injuries and standout performances could be the deciding factors in this anticipated matchup.

The Spurs and Timberwolves both head into Saturday night’s matchup at Frost Bank Center dealing with short injury reports, with two players listed for each side ahead of the 8 p.m. ET tip.

San Antonio enters at 3-2 and has two names on the report. Minnesota, sitting at 4-2, is also carrying two injuries into the game.

For the Spurs, the bigger story has been Victor Wembanyama’s all-around production. He leads the team with 25.0 points per game, 11.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 3.8 blocks while also adding 1.6 made threes per contest.

Stephon Castle has supplied 17.4 points and 5.4 assists per game, while Dylan Harper is right behind at 17.2 points and 4.6 assists. De’Aaron Fox has chipped in 15.4 points and a team-best 7.0 assists, and Devin Vassell is averaging 12.6 points.

San Antonio’s numbers show a team that has been winning with balance. The Spurs are scoring 116.6 points per game and allowing 110.0, giving them a +33 scoring differential.

They rank 14th in the NBA in scoring, 10th in points allowed, and 13th in rebounds at 45.0 per game. Wembanyama’s 11.4 rebounds per game lead the club and rank fifth in the league.

From deep, the Spurs are hitting 13.2 threes per game, though opponents are shooting 39.4% from long range compared with San Antonio’s 34.6%. Julian Champagnie is the team’s top volume three-point shooter at 3.4 per game, which ranks seventh in the league.

Minnesota’s injury list includes Donte DiVincenzo, who is out with an Achilles issue, and Anthony Edwards, who is out with a knee injury.

Even with those absences, the Timberwolves have been rolling statistically. They are outscoring opponents by 14.8 points per game, thanks to 121.5 points per contest and just 106.7 allowed.

That scoring margin sits at +89. Minnesota also owns a major edge on the glass, grabbing 50.2 rebounds per game while opponents average 42.7.

Rudy Gobert leads the team with 12.3 rebounds per game, which ranks third in the league.

Jaden McDaniels paces Minnesota with 17.0 points per game, while LaMelo Ball is putting up 15.2 points and 6.7 assists. Terrence Shannon Jr. is averaging 13.7 points, Ayo Dosunmu 13.3, and Jonathan Kuminga 11.8.

The Timberwolves are also the league’s best three-point shooting team by volume, making 16.0 per game, and they’re doing it efficiently at 39.2% from deep. Ball leads the team with 3.3 made threes per game, good for 10th in the NBA.

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