NBA Matchups: January 10

Minnesota Timberwolves (back end) at Boston Celtics (front end)

Team Totals: Wolves 108.5, Celtics 115

Injury Report: Jrue Holiday (Q, elbow), Al Horford (Q, illness), Kristaps Porzingis (Q, knee), Wolves on a B2B

Wolves projected starters: Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert

Celtics projected starters: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis

Finch quotes: Said he has to get the ball in Conley’s hands, said the guys did an OK job surviving foul trouble, said they rushed some shots against the Mavs, said it was tough to cut down KAT’s minutes for foul trouble and he had to protect them from getting a fifth.

Mazzulla quotes: Said they struggled to keep the bench (and Mathurin) in check, talked about the last play a bunch, said the Pacers just killed them in the fourth, said he can’t wait for the last 2-minute report.

Stats and Notes: 

*These two teams are two of the best rim defenses in the NBA, ranking first and second for at-rim PPP, and the Wolves are first in rim points allowed while the Celtics aren’t far behind at fourth. The Wolves are turning it over a little bit these days to push down their defense slightly because it’s put them in bad spots on the other end. The Celtics are likely going to bomb 3-pointers today, and that’ll be the story of the game. Regardless, these defenses are legit, and I’m not too interested in getting into this game.

*The Wolves were able to get an easy win, but flying from Orlando to Boston is not easy on a B2B. Anthony Edwards probably gets the Jrue Holiday matchup, but there’s a decent chance it’s Derrick White on him. The Celtics have been vulnerable to on-ball guys and Ant has crushed bad defenses, so he’d be the guy I’d look at on the MIN side.

*Karl-Anthony Towns had his best half of the season last night with 23 points. The matchup gets substantially harder here against an elite rim defense. The Celtics may get funky and put Jrue Holiday on him, and KAT could shoot over the top of him. He could also see a lot of Horford, which isn’t a plus matchup either. I’d still be bashful about firing up KAT for DFS or props.

*Rudy Gobert is a pretty hard no with this rim defense.

*The Celtics sat out Jayson Tatum to manage his injury, and Jrue Holiday has an injury management tag. Are the Celtics just resting guys here and there after their strong start? It’s possible. On Tatum, I’d expect him to get heavy minutes, but the matchup is trash as he is almost certainly getting the Jaden McDaniels matchup. Tatum did go for a 32/5/2 line against McDaniels earlier this year, and he’s made elite defenders look bad all year. Still, I don’t love it.

*Jaylen Brown should get the softer matchup, but Ant Edwards’ speed isn’t exactly ideal. The Wolves have been great with their transition defense for a couple of months, but maybe they don’t have the legs in a B2B.

*Kristaps Porzingis is a pretty easy pass. He’s just going to take more 3-pointers, and a Q tag isn’t great either. If Jrue Holiday sits, that could make Derrick White more viable, and he would have the softest matchup of anyone in the first unit.

Great matchups: Nobody

Good matchups: Maybe Anthony Edwards (if no Jrue), maybe Derrick White (if no Jrue)

Bad matchups: Basically everyone, especially Rudy Gobert and Kristaps Porzingis

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Sacramento Kings (back end) at Charlotte Hornets