The Minnesota Timberwolves haven't had a season to remember to say the least. The team felt as though their hand was forced and ended up trading Jimmy Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the team has ripped off back-to-back wins over the Phoenix Suns. Minnesota will look to try and build some momentum, which is something that it hasn't had very often throughout the 2018-19 season.
On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers have had their fair share of struggles without LeBron James in the lineup. James continues to deal with a groin strain that has kept him off the court since the team's Christmas Day game against the Golden State Warriors. However, the team could gett Rajon Rondo back on Thursday as the veteran guard is listed as a game-time decision.
How to watch Timberwolves at Lakers
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 24
- Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Staples Center -- Los Angeles, California
- TV: TNT
- Streaming: fuboTV - (free trial - NBA League Pass add-on available)
- Live stats: GameTracker
- Odds: Lakers -1.0
Odds and analysis
Check Sportsline's NBA pick sheet for all your daily odds.
Storylines
Timberwolves: When it comes to the Wolves, Karl-Anthony Towns supplies a great amount of the team's offensive production. Towns is averaging 22.5 points on the season and has scored at least 25 points in each of the team's last two wins. However, he could have his hands full with two defensive-oriented centers in the form of Tyson Chandler and JaVale McGee.
Lakers: The biggest storyline for the Lakers is whether or not Rondo is able to suit up. With Lonzo Ball now out of the lineup for four to six weeks, the Lakers backcourt takes a big hit when both Ball and Rondo are on the injured list. Rondo has appeared in just 14 games this season after dealing with multiple hand injuries and it's safe to say that the team has suffered in his absence.
Game prediction, pick
The Lakers haven't played their best basketball with James out of the lineup. However, the Timberwolves haven't exactly been lighting the world on fire with Jimmy Butler. Los Angeles escapes with a narrow win in this one.
