After a thrilling 149-142 overtime victory, the Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the New Orleans Pelicans in their second consecutive fixture. Anthony Edwards starred against the Pels with a 44-point bomb while Rudy Gobert posted a steady 26-point, 13-rebound double-double. Naz Reid finished as the third-highest scorer, as he added 18 points, five rebounds, and six assists off the bench to help seal the win.

For New Orleans, Trey Murphy III led with a 33-point performance, while Saddiq Bey had 22, and Derik Queen and fellow rookie Jeremiah Fears added 21. Two more Pelicans players, Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins, also crossed into double figures, but still fell short and suffered their 19th loss of the season. Now looking forward to their rematch, the odds are stacked against New Orleans as they are set to miss some key players in this clash.

Pelicans Injury Report: Are Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III Playing Tonight?

The New Orleans Pelicans are likely to continue their struggles as they face a depleted lineup amid a four-game losing streak. Zion Williamson (right adductor), Dejounte Murray (right Achilles), Jordan Poole (left quad), and Herbert Jones (right calf) have been ruled out, leaving the James Borrego-coached side without its top scorers and primary playmakers.

Zion Williamson has led the Pelicans in scoring so far this season with 22.1 points and 5.6 rebounds while missing 12 games. Center Karlo Matkovic is listed as questionable with a right calf strain, and Yves Missi is out with right foot/ankle soreness, further depleting New Orleans’ frontcourt depth. Hence, the team’s scoring responsibilities will be on the shoulders of Trey Murphy III, who leads the Pelicans with 20.4 points per game.

Supporting Murphy on the offense will be Saddiq Bey with his 13.7 points and 6.0 rebounds, and Jeremiah Fears, who averages 15.7 points and 3.3 rebounds. With major absences across the board, the Pelicans rank 26th in offensive rating (110.5) and 28th in defensive rating (120.7), placing them at the bottom of the Western Conference.

Timberwolves Injury Report: Are Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert Playing Tonight?

Unlike the Pelicans, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ injury report is minimal. Enrique Freeman is listed as available despite a face mask, and Rocco Zikarsky is out on a two-way G League assignment. Hence, the Wolves will have their leading scorer, Anthony Edwards, who has been averaging 37.2 points in his last five games.

For the season, Antman has posted a career-high 29.2 points while dishing out 3.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds. Alongside Edwards, Julius Randle is averaging 23 points, 7.5 rebounds, and six assists as the Timberwolves are seventh in offensive rating (118.4) and 12th in defensive rating (113.2). Building on these numbers, Minnesota is sixth in the West and enters the Smoothie King Center on a four-game win streak.

Predicted Starting Line-Ups: Pelicans vs Timberwolves

The projected lineup is based on the latest injury reports and team rotations. These are subject to last-minute changes.

With all their stars fit, the Minnesota Timberwolves start as favorites against the New Orleans Pelicans, for whom the season has gone from bad to worse. Even before the first game, the Pels were handed a massive disadvantage with new GM Joe Dumars giving away an unprotected first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for acquiring Derik Queen.

Then, as the season started, injuries and disappointing performances crippled their progress and led to the eventual firing of head coach Willie Green. Since then, things have remained the same, and now, it will be interesting to see how New Orleans operates as it continues to fall without any incentives ahead of the 2026 NBA draft.