Toronto Raptors at Minnesota Timberwolves

Sun Oct 256:00 PM CTNBA TVMinneapolis, MN
By JR·2 min read

TLDR: Two teams that have spent the first week of the season running opponents off the floor meet Sunday, October 25, in Minneapolis. Something has to give, and it's the first real test for either one.

SUN 10/25, 6:00 PMNBA TV

Toronto and Minnesota both come in 2-0 after lopsided wins, but the opponents were thin: Washington was without AJ Dybantsa, and Orlando was missing 4 rotation players before losing Paolo Banchero during the game. It's Minnesota's first home game of the season. Each side has an injury to watch, with Nate Bittle's foot for the Raptors and Donte DiVincenzo's Achilles for the Wolves. The game should come down to whether Toronto's fast starts or Minnesota's 3rd-quarter runs hold up against an opponent at full strength.

Toronto Raptors
  • Beat Chicago 135-92, the franchise's biggest home-opener win
  • Won the 1st quarter 34-21 in Washington
  • Closed out the Wizards with a 31-25 4th
  • Nate Bittle (foot) availability unclear for Sunday
  • Lost both middle quarters to a shorthanded Wizards team
  • Both wins came against weak or depleted opponents
Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Won 2 road games by 25 and 22
  • 29-15 3rd quarter broke Orlando open
  • First home game of the season at Target Center

Toronto and Minnesota have both won their 2 games by a combined 96 points, and neither has been seriously pushed yet. The Raptors opened by beating the Bulls 135-92, the largest home-opener win in franchise history. The Timberwolves started with 2 road blowouts in Florida, 131-106 in Miami and 115-93 in Orlando. Sunday at 6:00 PM CT is the first time either club sees a team that has also been winning comfortably.

It's also Minnesota's first game at Target Center this season, after 2 games on the road to start the year. The Wolves are still without Donte DiVincenzo, who is recovering from his Achilles injury and has said he expects to return at some point this season. Toronto's question mark is in the frontcourt. Nate Bittle missed the opener with a foot injury, and nothing in the data says whether he'll be available Sunday. Both clubs played Friday, so neither gets a rest advantage.

Look a little closer and the opponents explain some of those scores. Washington was again without AJ Dybantsa when Toronto won 112-102, and even shorthanded the Wizards won both middle quarters and cut the lead to 4 going into the 4th. Orlando was even thinner against Minnesota. The Magic were missing Anthony Black, Jonathan Isaac, Noah Penda and Izaiyah Nelson, then lost Paolo Banchero to a sore right ankle during the game. Neither of these 2-0 starts has been tested yet.

10/23W@Wizards112-102
10/21WvsBulls135-92
10/23W@Magic115-93
10/21W@Heat131-106

The way they've won is what makes this one interesting. Minnesota broke Orlando open with a 29-15 3rd quarter, turning a 12-point halftime lead into 26 and making the 4th quarter irrelevant. Anthony Edwards was at the center of it. Toronto has been strong early and late: a 34-21 1st quarter in Washington, and a 31-25 4th quarter once the Wizards got close. If the Raptors start fast in Minneapolis, they'll get to see whether the Wolves can answer with the kind of 3rd-quarter run that buried Orlando.

So far Toronto has been the better team at closing out games, and Minnesota has been the better team at making them lopsided in the middle quarters. Both of those come from wins over thin rosters. Sunday is the first time either team plays someone at full strength who has also been winning, and one of them will leave Target Center 2-1.

Raptors vs. Timberwolves: Polymarket Odds & Prediction (Oct. 25) — Raptors and Wolves Bring Matching 2-0 Starts to Target Center · Barstool Bush