May 30, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson (1) fight over a loose ball during the second quarter of Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals held at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Familiar faces are returning to Minnesota at a familiar pace.
Veteran forward Kyle Anderson, nicknamed “Slow Mo” for his cautious style of play, is scheduled to rejoin the Minnesota Timberwolves for Tuesday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies in Minneapolis.
It’s unclear whether Anderson will play a day after signing with Minnesota, where he previously played from 2022-24. He averaged 7.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists while splitting between starting and reserve roles. The Grizzlies bought out Andersen’s contract on Thursday, paving the way for the 32-year-old to rejoin the Timberwolves for a possible playoff push.
Regardless of whether Anderson plays on Tuesday, there appears to be momentum on the Minnesota side. The Timberwolves will look to extend their winning streak to four games after beating the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets in a three-game road trip.
Next up is a three-game homestand that includes games against the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic.
Memphis is also playing well as it heads north. The Grizzlies are coming off back-to-back wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers and have a three-game winning streak against the New Orleans Pelicans, Clippers and Sacramento Kings for the first time since Nov. 26-30.
Grizzlies coach Tuomas Isalo said he likes the competitiveness he has seen recently. He praised his players after Sunday’s 125-106 win over the Pacers.
“You want guys to put in multiple efforts and always get back into the situation, and with the group we have right now, I think we’ve done a great job overall as a team to feed the defense to the offense,” Iisalo said. “We were disruptive, and that sparked a lot of transitions. We won possession games despite being a small team with rebounds and steals. Great work.
“I like the way we share the ball. I think the guys really enjoyed playing together.”
Walter Clayton Jr., making his second start against Indiana on Sunday, looks to stay hot after recording a career-high 14 assists and four steals. The rookie’s passing ability helped Memphis record 34 assists on 48 baskets.
Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards will look to continue his hot streak after earning the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week honors in his last three games. Edwards averaged 29.5 points per game on 49.3% shooting from the field this season.
Edwards said his teammates deserve credit for the team’s recent hot streak. One of the players he pointed out was Bonds Hyland, who scored 18 points in 16 minutes against the Nuggets on Sunday. Hyland missed just one of seven shots from the field and made all three of her attempts from beyond the arc.
“He’s one of those guys. If you see someone going in, he might have a big night,” Edwards said. “I think this is one of those games where he’s going to have a really big night for us, maybe even in the playoffs.”
This is the fourth and final game between the Timberwolves and Grizzlies this season. Memphis has won two of the first three matchups, including a 137-128 victory in the most recent meeting on Feb. 2 on the Grizzlies’ home court.
–Field level media
