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[winforlose]

Dude they're missing Mitchell, Mobley and Strus. They have every bit as much injury situation as us. We can win tonight even if Ant doesn't play.

Simple approach. KAT averages 22.1 per game. Ant averages 26.4. Monte is 5.3. We are missing 44 PPG rounded. They are missing 28 for DM, 15.6 from Mobely, and 12.2 from Strauss. They are missing 55.8. The initial math supports your position.

However, if you assume Allen and Rudy are a wash on offense, they still have Garland, and we have no offensive equivalent. Mike will get a tough physical matchup (which usually shuts him down.) We would need Naz and Jaden to over perform their averages which is a tough ask without Ant or Karl’s gravity, and on the back end of a back to back. If Finch was a better coach maybe, but his offense and game management has been a problem this year.

I'm not saying we're going to win without Ant. I'm saying we have a decent shot at winning without Ant, but we will be a slight underdog on the road. You're acting like it's a guaranteed loss if Ant doesn't play.

I am saying after a game like yesterdays where emotions are running high, minutes are high, you blow the lead and get the one possession win, the next game is usually a loss when it’s a road back to back.

Honestly, knowing Finch, he will play everyone and say no days off. Whether that works out or not is impossible to predict.

[KGdaBom]

D'Lo has scored 44 points tonight including the winning basket with 5.2 seconds remaining. Great efficiency, 9 assists, 6 rebounds only 2 TOs. 9-12 from 3. It may be the best game of his career.

[minimus]

D'Lo has scored 44 points tonight including the winning basket with 5.2 seconds remaining. Great efficiency, 9 assists, 6 rebounds only 2 TOs. 9-12 from 3. It may be the best game of his career.

I am glad that I am not in this loop anymore

[cmoss84]

Is this really GS without Steph? No Wemby or Vassell either...

[FrenchMinnyFan]

Rudy will got an heavy fine. Just hope he did not get suspended for few games. Even if he was right, his gesture is stupid and hurt the team. Stupid talk from Rudy is probably as KAT offensive foul, not much chance of improving in the future, too old and stubborn for that....

[TimberKat]

Is it time to start resting Twolves players? Here is the bigger picture after losing to Cavs:
If Wolves finish 8-10 with a 52 win season and what will it take for teams to tie us (not counting tie breakers):
Top 4: LAC 11-9;
Top 6: NOP 14-5; SAC 16-4
Host Play-in: PHO 15-3; DAL 16-2
Away Play-in: LAL 17-0; GSW 19-0

Wolves finish with 10-8: LAC needs to finish 13-7

Base on this, I think we should just let DLo have his days and pack it in tonight after the last two weeks of 4 sets of back to back. The key will be beat LAC and all the bottom feeders, get the ti-breaker over LAC, get to 10-8, stop LAC get to 13-7. Just 8-10 will get us the 4th seed and LAL is irrelevant to us at this point. LAC also have a relatively easy schedule with two games vs PHI, POR, UTA.

[winforlose]

Is it time to start resting Twolves players? Here is the bigger picture after losing to Cavs:
If Wolves finish 8-10 with a 52 win season and what will it take for teams to tie us (not counting tie breakers):
Top 4: LAC 11-9;
Top 6: NOP 14-5; SAC 16-4
Host Play-in: PHO 15-3; DAL 16-2
Away Play-in: LAL 17-0; GSW 19-0

Wolves finish with 10-8: LAC needs to finish 13-7

Base on this, I think we should just let DLo have his days and pack it in tonight after the last two weeks of 4 sets of back to back. The key will be beat LAC and all the bottom feeders, get the ti-breaker over LAC, get to 10-8, stop LAC get to 13-7. Just 8-10 will get us the 4th seed and LAL is irrelevant to us at this point. LAC also have a relatively easy schedule with two games vs PHI, POR, UTA.

So I have 3 thoughts.

1. We get a day off with no travel tomorrow. While it is true that our schedule to this point has been brutal, I am not sure our guys legs are not recharged enough to play tonight.

2. We don’t know who the Lakers will sit tonight. If they play everyone who is questionable then this one could be tough. If they are missing either/both of AD or LBJ I think we win easily. Our defense will smother Dlo and Reaves and they don’t have the weapons to beat us, even without KAT.

3. We don’t tend to play well after 3 days off. Yesterday and tomorrow both being a day off. Say we sit Ant tonight and he comes out flat against LAC, can we afford that. By the same token, if his ankle or wrist are messed up, maybe we do give him the rest and take our chances with the rust.

P.S, bonus thought: Finch has been trying to instill a specific culture all year. The main thought is don’t care about record, care about winning each game. To that end he has a no games off approach. I don’t know that he wants to downshift that now, following a loss, following the KAT injury. Especially when a loss today could set up our first 3 game losing streak in a calendar year. I think the momentum and the teams moral must be factored in.

[TimberKat]

Clippers are resting PG13 and Kawhi today

Edit: now that Bucks going to win. We want to win tonight to get some separation

[cmoss84]

Clippers are resting PG13 and Kawhi today

Edit: now that Bucks going to win. We want to win tonight to get some separation

Was making me nervous! Thanks Lilliard for going bananas in 4th!

[Calinks]

Watching the Cavs vs Suns games today. Allen can't buy a call in this 4th quarter yet he was living at the line against us. So annoying.

[winforlose]

Crazy shorthanded Raptors had a huge lead over Denver (18 when I first looked,) in the 3rd quarter. They managed to lose the lead early in the fourth and went on to lose the game.

[FrenchMinnyFan]

Denver is the most impressive team for me. They stay under the radar for 70% of the season then they step up and play 100% at PO time last year. If they do it again this year, they are my favorite for the title.

[TimberKat]

Denver is the most impressive team for me. They stay under the radar for 70% of the season then they step up and play 100% at PO time last year. If they do it again this year, they are my favorite for the title.

OKC is doing the same thing tonight. Trick me to watch because they were behind and going to pull away in the forth quarter.

[TimberKat]

Pacers too boneheaded turnovers in a row to keep OKC in the game @4:00

[TimberKat]

DAL at OKC without Luka. Not good for Wolves

[winforlose]

The Clippers loss to the Pels now gives the Pels the season series at 3-1. Pels are 2 games back of the Clippers with the tie breaker.

[cmoss84]

I'd be cool with standings as they are entering playoffs...

[shrink]

The Clippers loss to the Pels now gives the Pels the season series at 3-1. Pels are 2 games back of the Clippers with the tie breaker.

Good chance those two will face each other in the 4-5 match up in the playoffs.

[winforlose]

The Clippers loss to the Pels now gives the Pels the season series at 3-1. Pels are 2 games back of the Clippers with the tie breaker.

Good chance those two will face each other in the 4-5 match up in the playoffs.

Norman Powell got banged up. If he misses time with Harden and Leonard the Clips could fall to 6th easily.

[FrenchMinnyFan]

We have to win th next 3 and then we are safe for top 3. Hopefully Jazz play with sub guys ( they just beat Atlanta tonight) so they may be tired. Just worry if they put back Lauri, JC.... could make our night more tough specially without KAT and if Rudy not recover.