half time report
Only two more quarters stand between the Timberwolves and the victory they were favorites to achieve tonight. They have a bit of cushion as they currently lead the Trail Blazers 76-57.
If the Timberwolves keep playing like this, they will increase their record to 6-3 in no time. On the other hand, the Trail Blazers will have to settle for a 3-7 record unless things change (and quickly).
Who is playing
Portland Trail Blazers @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Current records: Portland 3-6, Minnesota 5-3
How to watch
- When: Friday, November 8, 2024 at 9 pm ET
- Where: Target Center: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- TV: FanDuel SN – North
- Continue: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try it for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $24.92
What to know
The Timberwolves will play the full four quarters on Friday, but are expected to have everything figured out well before then. They and the Portland Trail Blazers will meet at 9:00 pm ET at Target Center without much rest after finishing games yesterday. The Timberwolves will strut their stuff after a win, while the Trail Blazers will bounce back from a loss.
The Timberwolves have just scored the most points they have all season. They outscored the Bulls with points to spare on Thursday and took the game 135-119. The victory came thanks to a strong drive starting at 3:46 of the second quarter, when Minnesota faced a 55-42 deficit.
Anthony Edwards was the offensive standout of the contest, as he went 13-for-23 en route to 33 points plus eight rebounds and six assists. That’s the most assists he’s posted since April. Rudy Gobert was another key player, nearly posting a double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers traveled a difficult path last season and, unfortunately for them, the road hasn’t gotten any easier so far this season. They took a 118-105 hit in the loss column at the hands of the Spurs on Thursday.
Even though they lost, the Trail Blazers broke the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds (they rank fifth in offensive rebounds per game overall). That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they have now had at least ten offensive rebounds in 18 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Minnesota has been doing well recently, winning three of its last four games, giving a nice boost to its 5-3 record this season. As for Portland, their loss dropped their record to 3-6.
Keep an eye on the goal in Friday’s game: the Timberwolves have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 40.1% of their three-pointers per game. It’s a different story for the Trail Blazers, however, as they have only made 33.7% of their three-pointers this season. Given the Timberwolves’ considerable advantage in that area, the Trail Blazers will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Timberwolves didn’t have much breathing room in their matchup against the Trail Blazers in their previous meeting in March, but they still came away with a 119-114 victory. Will the Timberwolves repeat their success or do the Trail Blazers have a better game plan this time? We will know very soon.
Odd
Minnesota is a heavy 12-point favorite against Portland, according to the latest report. NBA Odds.
Bettors had a good idea of the line for this one, as the game began with the Timberwolves as 12.5-point favorites.
The over/under is 220.5 points.
See NBA selections for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Minnesota has won 7 of its last 10 games against Portland.
- March 4, 2024: Minnesota 119 vs. Portland 114
- February 15, 2024: Minnesota 128 vs. Portland 91
- February 13, 2024: Minnesota 121 vs. Portland 109
- January 12, 2024: Minnesota 116 vs. Portland 93
- April 2, 2023: Portland 107 vs. Minnesota 105
- January 4, 2023: Minnesota 113 vs. Portland 106
- December 12, 2022: Portland 133 vs. Minnesota 112
- December 10, 2022: Portland 124 vs. Minnesota 118
- March 7, 2022: Minnesota 124 vs. Portland 81
- March 5, 2022: Minnesota 135 vs. Portland 121
