The Spurs host Minnesota tonight with two days of rest behind them and Tobias Harris still out with a calf injury. The Wolves come in at 4-2 without Anthony Edwards or Donte DiVincenzo and with no rest day.
Who is missing tonight on both sides?
Paul Garcia relayed word from the Spurs that Tobias Harris (left calf) and Jayden Quaintance (right knee) will not play Saturday. Harris is projected back by Nov. 6, the NBA Cup game in Sacramento. Quaintance is projected for Dec. 3. Minnesota is without Anthony Edwards, out with a right knee injury, and Donte DiVincenzo, out with a right Achilles injury. Edwards has averaged 33.3 points across his four games.
How much does Minnesota's schedule help San Antonio?
Some. Minnesota played last night and plays its fourth game in seven days. The Spurs have had two full days off since the overtime win in Utah. Without Edwards, the Wolves lean on Jaden McDaniels at 17.0 points, LaMelo Ball at 15.2 points and 6.7 assists, and Ayo Dosunmu at 13.3. Rudy Gobert's 12.3 rebounds and a 102.4 defensive rating are the real test.
Why did the Spurs drop to eighth without playing?
Other results moved around them. San Antonio sat sixth on Oct. 30 and is eighth today at 3-2. The gap is thin both ways: half a game behind Dallas, 4-2, for sixth; level with Golden State, 3-3, at tenth; a game and a half clear of eleventh. Five games in, that table says more about everyone else's schedule than about this team.
Who absorbs the minutes while Harris is out?
Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell. Harper is up eight minutes a night over the last three games and set a career high with 25 against the Knicks. Vassell is up nine minutes a night, but his scoring has barely moved. The number worth watching is Julian Champagnie's 48.6 percent from three. If that holds, the wing minutes take care of themselves.
Is Tobias Harris playing for the Spurs against the Timberwolves?
No. Harris is out with a left calf injury and is projected back by Nov. 6.
Is Anthony Edwards playing against the Spurs on Oct. 31?
No. Edwards is out with a right knee injury, and Donte DiVincenzo is also out for Minnesota.
