The Brooklyn Nets (9-19) have been playing their best basketball of the season recently as they have significantly improved on the defensive end of the floor compared to how they began the season. Brooklyn is not only playing better on both ends of the floor, but they are also getting healthier. The Nets‘ next test comes in the form of visiting the Minnesota Timberwolves (20-11) on Saturday and if you’re wondering how you can watch all the action live, you’ve come to the right place!

The Nets come into this game after a 114-106 win at the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday in which Brooklyn came out with a flurry thanks to forward Michael Porter Jr. scoring 25 of his 28 points in the first half. Porter went on to finish the game with five and two steals while rookie guard Egor Demin stepped up when the team needed him the most with 20 points and five assists during his 33 minutes on the floor.

The Timberwolves enter this matchup following a 142-138 overtime loss at the Denver Nuggets on Thursday (Christmas Day) in which Minnesota had to make a massive comeback in the fourth quarter just to take the game into overtime. Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Nets with a shoulder injury, dropped 44 points, six rebounds, and three steals to give his team the best chance to beat Denver.

The Lines, Courtesy Of BetMGMPoint-spread: Nets (+10.5)Money-line: Nets (+400)Over/Under: 225.5Notable Injuries

Nets: OUT: Haywood Highsmith (knee), Ben Saraf (G League), Tyson Etienne (G League), and EJ Liddell (G League).

Timberwolves: OUT: Terrence Shannon Jr. (foot). QUESTIONABLE: Mike Conley (rest) and Anthony Edwards (shoulder).

Advice and Prediction

The Nets have been playing excellent defense as of late and the improvement on the defensive end of the floor has Brooklyn playing like a play-in tournament level team. The Nets’ victory at the 76ers showed that the defensive growth is more than just playing better against worse competition as Philadelphia has one of the better offenses in the league and Brooklyn held them to 41.0% shooting from the field overall.

The Timberwolves have been relying on Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle to guide them through the regular season with the hope that they can earn a high seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Edwards is questionable for this matchup with a shoulder injury, but even if he is unable to go, Randle is more than capable of assuming the primary scoring role with his averages of 22.5 points and 5.5 assists per game.

When it comes to offensive rating, defensive rating, and pace, the Nets and Timberwolves rank on opposite ends of the spectrum within those categories. Brooklyn ranks in the bottom half of the league in those metrics while Minnesota ranks in the top half of the NBA, but it’s interesting to note that the defensive end of the floor is where these teams rank the closest to each other.

Prediction: Timberwolves 115, Nets 110