Timberwolves seek stability without Towns vs. Wizards

The Minnesota Timberwolves haven't fared well as they adjust to life without Karl-Anthony Towns.

The Wolves hope the new calendar year brings about better fortune on Friday as they host the winless Washington Wizards in Minneapolis.

Towns averaged 19 points, 11.5 rebounds and five assists to help Minnesota win its opening two games of the season. A dislocated left wrist has kept Towns off the floor for the past two games, which quickly became ugly, decisive road losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

While guard Ricky Rubio said Minnesota played "selfish" basketball during a 124-101 defeat to the Clippers on Tuesday, coach Ryan Saunders shared a slightly different view two days later.

"I do think it's natural when you lose a player who is a star-caliber player like Karl, ... the intentions are usually right where guys just want to help the team and feel like they need to pick up the slack," Saunders said. "Sometimes if you don't fully understand the system yet or you're still getting to know your teammates, sometimes that can look like it's selfish basketball."

D'Angelo Russell rebounded from a four-point performance in a 127-91 setback to the Lakers on Sunday by connecting four times from beyond the arc and finishing with 22 points against the Clippers.

"We talk more about 'us' and 'we' and less 'I and 'me.' It's not just on DLo, it's on all of us," Saunders said of Russell. "He's an unbelievable talent and he wants what's best for this group."

Minnesota's Jarrett Culver missed all 10 of his shots from the floor on Tuesday. He is 4-for-21 from the field and 0-for-7 from 3-point range in the past two games.

While the Timberwolves are struggling, the Wizards are in even worse shape. They own an NBA-worst 0-5 record heading into a four-game road trip.

"I'm still confident in our group. We've got a lot of season left," Washington coach Scott Brooks said following the Wizards' 133-130 setback to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

The Wizards likely will be without Russell Westbrook on Friday in the second half of a back-to-back set. The team rested the star point guard in such a sequence earlier this season and has indicated that this would be the plan going forward for the 32-year-old veteran as a means to keep him healthy.

Westbrook, however, has thrived when he has been in the lineup. He had 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds on Thursday to join Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to open a season with triple-doubles in each of their first four games.

Bradley Beal, who matched Thomas Bryant with a game-high 28 points against the Bulls, performed even better in a pair of meetings with Minnesota last season. Beal scored 30 points in a 131-109 loss to the Timberwolves on Nov. 2, 2019, then had 44 points to go along with 10 assists in a 137-116 victory at Minneapolis two weeks later.

--Field Level Media