The Golden State Warriors (26-21) will be without Stephen Curry (knee) and Draymond Green (back) for Monday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves (27-19).
Both were listed as questionable earlier Monday.
The Warriors will also be without De’Anthony Melton (rest for back-to-back), Al Horford (rest for back-to-back), Jonathan Kuminga (bone bruise) and Seth Curry (sciatica). Two-way guard LJ Cryer (hamstring) is questionable.
The Wolves will be without Terrence Shannon Jr. (foot), while Leonard Mliler (back) is questionable. They are healthy otherwise.
Expect Big Minutes for Spencer
Since his great five-game stretch in early December, Pat Spencer has played over 14 minutes just once. Fair or not, he’s mostly been out of the rotation since then.
On Monday, he’ll make a case for more playing time.
On Jan. 2 when the Warriors were resting most of their key players, Spencer played 31 minutes and had just three points and was a minus-41. That was against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, but still, it was an opportunity he didn’t take advantage of.
The first five games of December, Spencer averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds. That’s the Spencer the Warriors need against Minnesota.
Timberwolves Need This Game to Break Out of Slump
The Timberwolves have lost five straight games, including a 26-point defeat to the Warriors on Sunday.
This should be a get-right game for them, but note that they’ve lost to the Bulls and Jazz during this stretch.
The biggest key for both teams is the turnover battle. The Wolves had 25 turnovers on Sunday, helping the Warriors attempt 16 more field goals.
If the Warriors dominate the turnover battle, they should have a chance to steal this one.