Cleveland Cavaliers vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction: The battle of motivations

Cleveland has beaten Minnesota in only 1 of their last 4 home games. So far this season, the Cavaliers haven't lost on their home court. Will they be able to extend their winning streak?

The Cavaliers are still in 2nd place in the NBA in three-point shooting, second only to Denver. Donovan Mitchell has been scoring a lot lately, but Cleveland has lost 3 straight games and fallen to 3rd place in the Eastern Conference. Nevertheless, there is every reason to consider the Cavaliers one of the strongest clubs in the East. J.B. Bickerstaff's squad is very versatile on offense which isn't surprising considering that aside from Mitchell and Garland they also have Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Kevin Love as well. The team doesn't slack off on defense, and Mitchell is working particularly hard. The Cavaliers still have room to step up their game, as Ricky Rubio is still in the injured reserve list, and his return should make the bench longer.

The day before, Cleveland lost to Golden State, 101-106. Garland had another poor game, hitting just 5 of 19 shots while the rest had a very low shooting percentage from behind the arc. Dean Wade didn't play, and I'm sure his absence had an impact. Donovan Mitchell was once again the Cavaliers' most productive player with 29 points. Mitchell might not play against Minnesota: his participation is still questionable.

This may sound ironic, but Minnesota is one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to defensive rebound. The team plays two centers, has a towering forward Kyle Anderson and an athletic Anthony Edwards, but the Timberwolves are letting the opponents get more than 12 offensive rebounds per game, ranking 29th in the NBA. Perhaps the situation will improve over time, as the Wolves clearly lack chemistry after major changes in the offseason. Anthony Edwards can't adjust to playing with Rudy Gobert, who has to play in the paint and occupy space in that zone at all times, unlike Karl-Anthony Towns. Maybe Chris Finch needs to break up Gobert and Towns, even though the two big-man lineups are Minnesota's most effective ones right now.

The Timberwolves have only 1 win in their last 7 regular-season games, beating Houston at home. Now the Wolves are only 13th in the West, with only the Lakers and the Rockets behind them. Last game, Chris Finch's team lost on the road to Memphis, 104-131. Edwards had a good game, scoring 28 points, Gobert hit 5 of 5, but Towns was barely noticeable and made less than 10 shots. Minnesota was close to their opponent in many statistical areas, but the infamous defensive battle decided a great deal. The Timberwolves let their opponent grab 15 offensive rebounds, and Memphis had more shot attempts because of it.

Cavaliers return home from the Californian tour with a firm intention to break the series of failures, but Minnesota also has plenty of motivation. The Timberwolves have looked good against Memphis, Edwards has found his game and it is quite possible that Anthony will be on fire against Cleveland. Both Cleveland and Minnesota have poor defense at the arc, and both teams rely heavily on their shooters. Edwards shoots a lot from beyond the arc, as does Mitchell. Garland may yet improve after his injury, and the home team as a whole looks better.