GAMEDAY AT A GLANCE
Spurs (10-10) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (10-11)
When, where: Wednesday, 7 p.m., Target Center, Minneapolis
Last season: Spurs won series 2-1
All-time series record: Spurs lead 87-29
Last meeting: Spurs 112, Timberwolves 108, Oct. 17, 2018, AT&T Center
Spurs' last game: Beat Bulls 108-107, Monday, Chicago
Timberwolves' last game: Beat Cavaliers 102-95, Monday, Cleveland
Spurs' last 10 games/streak: 4-6, won one
Timberwolves' last 10 games/streak: 6-4, won three
Spurs' injury/inactive report: Forward Drew Eubanks (G League assignment), out; center Pau Gasol (left foot soreness), out; forward Ben Moore (G League assignment), out; guard Dejounte Murray (torn right anterior cruciate ligament), out; guard Lonnie Walker IV (G League assignment), out.
Timberwolves' injury/inactive report: Point guard Jerryd Bayless (left knee sprain), out.
Notable: The Spurs wrap up a four-game road trip against the Timberwolves, and host the Houston Rockets on Friday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast by KENS 5, the official TV station of the San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio beat Houston 96-89 at the AT&T Center on Nov. 10 . . . The Spurs haven't won back-to-back games since winning four in a row in an eight-day span (Oct. 27-Nov. 3). They are 4-8 since then.
GAME PREVIEW
Separated by a half-game in the NBA standings, the Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves are both .500 teams struggling to become consistent and hit their stride.
The Silver and Black, who cap a four-game road trip in Minneapolis on Wednesday night, beat the Timberwolves 112-108 in their season opener Oct. 17 in San Antonio.
The Spurs started the season 6-2, but have had problems stringing together victories as they adjust to playing without Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.
San Antonio, 4-8 in its last 12 games, hasn’t put together back-to-back victories since winning four straight in a span of eight days (Oct. 23-Nov. 3).
The Silver and Black (10-10) beat the Bulls in Chicago on Monday to climb to .500 for the third time this season. It’s the first time the Spurs are .500 through 20 games since the 2003-04 season, when they won 57 games in the year following their second NBA title.
San Antonio point guard Bryn Forbes said the team remains focused on getting better with each workout and each game.
“We’re just trying to get the win and be consistent,” he said. “That’s what we’re struggling with, consistency and sometimes the energy we bring in the game. I think we need to step those things up.”
The Spurs are 14-1 against the Timberwolves in their last 15 meetings, but Minnesota has won three straight and is playing better since trading All-Star forward Jimmy Butler.
Minnesota (10-11) is coming off a 102-95 road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Timberwolves are 6-2 since they traded Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers for forwards Robert Covington and Dario Saric. Butler had 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and four steals in the first meeting between San Antonio and Minnesota.
DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had a double-double with 21 points and 19 rebounds to lead the Spurs in the season opener. DeRozan and Aldridge scored 21 and 20 points, respectively, in the squeaker against Chicago on Monday.
“I like the fact that DeMar and L.A.got aggressive down the stretch and took over,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said.
San Antonio’s defense continues to be a problem. The Spurs have scored an average of 106.8 points in their last 12 games, but are allowing 109.6 during that span.
The Spurs have gotten a big lift from their bench the last two games. Frustrated by the team’s slow starts, Popovich hasn’t hesitated to sit his starters.
“They saved us again, Popovich said Monday night, referring to his backups. “The second unit has been great. Their movement is really good. They put a little pressure on the defense. Not as talented as the first group, but they move really well and play with a lot of energy. So, we need to figure out a way how to inject some of that into the starting team.”
Forbes also likes how the Spurs’ bench has played.
“The second unit’s been bringing the juice, and the ball movement’s been amazing,” Forbes said. “I think last game and even this game, the way they move the ball and just got open shots, it makes it easy for them. They’re defending well too, bringing the energy. I think they’re doing everything well right now.”
Backup guard Derrick White, who had eight points and six rebounds, has improved steadily since returning from a foot injury in the preseason.
“He’s steady,” Popovich said. “He’s learned the game, starting to feel comfortable. Trying to convince him that he belongs. He made a couple aggressive moves tonight, took some shots, so I think he’s starting to feel comfortable.”
Asked to assess the growth of the team during the four-game road trip, Popovich said: “There’s always positive and negative after every game and everybody grows at a different rate, so that’s really an impossible question to answer.
“(It’s) early in the season when we’re looking for a lot of growth from a lot of different people. So, they’re giving the effort for it, but we just have to hope that people understand more and more what the program is."
