The final game of the season is nothing more than a formality for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they’re using that as an excuse to rest up for the Play-In Tournament. Karl-Anthony Towns was already listed as a no-go against the Chicago Bulls, but D’Angelo Russell was also ruled out ahead of tip-off, despite being listed as questionable.
Russell indicated that he could play, but the team elected to give him the night off to recuperate from his non-COVID illness.
D?Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns are both out tonight, per Chris Finch. Everyone else is available
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) April 10, 2022
Finch said both DLo and KAT wanted to play. But DLo has been sick, so Finch said they didn?t want to push that. And Finch said that they took the decision out of KAT?s hands
Lineups have not yet been announced, but we’re expecting Malik Beasley to start in place of Russell. Seventeen of Beasley’s 78 appearances have come as starts, with the 25-year-old ranking fourth on the team in scoring with 12.1 points.
The Timberwolves host the LA Clippers on Tuesday in the Western Conference Play-In game regardless of the outcome. The winner of that matchup clinches the seventh-seed in the west, with the loser getting one more crack at a playoff spot by taking on the winner of the 9 vs. 10 matchup.
Still, the T-Wolves enter tonight’s contest against the Bulls as -7 favorites, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
