Timberwolves vs Jazz

With the first week of the NBA season in full swing, the surprising Utah Jazz will head out to Minneapolis to take on their Northwest division foes in the ...

Already 1-0 in front of their home fans, expect Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves to come out with their hair on fire in what should be a convincing victory. Last and certainly not least, be on the lookout for PG D’Angelo Russell to build off of a solid showing in the team’s opening game. With this fear in the back of their minds, Minnesota took care of their business by dismantling the Thunder 115-108 and got a first look at how dominant Rudy Gobert can be out on the floor. Simply put, Minnesota may make the Jazz work harder to put the ball in the basket which could prove to be a huge advantage. If Utah is going to impress in back-to-back games and cover the spread in doing so, they will need to attack Minnesota with a collective-team effort from multiple names in the rotation. Who would’ve thunk it, but after a complete overhaul of the roster during the offseason that saw the departures of longtime Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell in what appeared to be Utah heading into a rebuilding phase.

The Minnesota Timberwolves welcome some friendly faces back to Target Center as they play host to the Utah Jazz.

Both teams are healthy, and I expect this to be a more competitive game than you may think. The Wolves need to be ready to move their feet and contest without fouling. The photos and videos all look pretty sharp, and I think they’ll look even better in action. If that’s the case, the Wolves should look to get Towns the ball at the top of the key and let him drive and kick. Aside from the bigs, the Wolves perimeter defense needs to be up to the task tonight. They start all three of Lauri Markkanen (6’11”), Vanderbilt (6’9”), and Kelly Olynyk (6’11”). Beyond that, this will be a fun matchup because of how different Utah is stylistically to what the Wolves faced on Wednesday against the His passing looked great on Wednesday, and the Wolves will need that again, but there should be more opportunities for him to drive and get all the way to the rim tonight as well. As currently constructed and with the players they have available, this is a team that can still make you pay if you take them lightly. "Fans were great here. It will also be the first opportunity for former Timberwolves Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Leandro Bolmaro, and Walker Kessler to face off with the franchise that traded them. »

Analyzing Friday's Utah Jazz at Minnesota Timberwolves odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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That sparked wholesale changes for Utah, which traded Gobert to Minnesota, All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland, reliable sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic ...

Visit ESPN for the game recap of the Utah Jazz vs. Minnesota Timberwolves NBA basketball game on October 21, 2022.

Both players got a welcome from the public address announcer during pregame introductions along with rookie [Walker Kessler](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4433136/walker-kessler), who spent barely a week on Minnesota's roster between the draft and the trade. [Jaylen Nowell](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4278541/jaylen-nowell) had 18 points for the Timberwolves, who led by as many as 17 points in the first half. [Lauri Markkanen](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4066336/lauri-markkanen) had 24 points and 13 rebounds and got a leaner in the lane to fall with 12 seconds left in the extra period to put the Jazz up by four. [Rudy Gobert](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3032976/rudy-gobert) grabbed the pass from [Karl-Anthony Towns](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3136195/karl-anthony-towns) in the paint and soared to a wide-open basket for what would've given Minnesota the tying dunk with 34 seconds left in overtime. He did not return to the bench. At no time, I thought I was on the other team," Gobert said. Then he foiled Gobert's dunk, and Gobert — who finished with nine points and 23 rebounds — missed both free throws to leave the Jazz lead at 128-126. [Jordan Clarkson](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2528426/jordan-clarkson) scored 29 points on 7-for-12 shooting from 3-point range to lead the rally, and the Jazz outlasted Gobert and the Timberwolves 132-126 on Friday night. He’s willing to put his body on the line when he has to,” Hardy said. [Jarred Vanderbilt](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4278077/jarred-vanderbilt) (14 rebounds) and [Malik Beasley](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3907822/malik-beasley) (15 points) played valuable roles against their former team. [Anthony Edwards](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4594268/anthony-edwards) scored 30 points for Minnesota, Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and [D'Angelo Russell](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3136776/d'angelo-russell) added 23 points including the tying jumper with 4.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter. He wants to win.