The Minnesota Timberwolves host the Chicago Bulls on Monday, December 29, with tipoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET at Target Center in Minneapolis. The interconference matchup brings together two teams moving in different directions as the calendar approaches January.
Minnesota enters the night with a 20-12 record despite dropping its last two games. The Wolves fell 107-123 to Brooklyn on December 27 and lost 138-142 in overtime at Denver on Christmas Day.
Chicago arrives at 15-16 following a 103-112 loss to Milwaukee on December 27. The Bulls did secure a 109-102 win over Philadelphia one night earlier.
The teams have not faced each other yet this season. Monday’s game marks their first head-to-head meeting of the 2025-26 campaign.
Minnesota’s injury report remains relatively short. Terrence Shannon Jr. is out with a left foot abductor hallucis strain, while Rocco Zikarsky remains unavailable due to his G League two-way status.
The Wolves continue to lean heavily on Anthony Edwards, who averages 29.3 points per game on 49.2 percent shooting. Julius Randle adds 22.6 points and 5.7 assists, giving Minnesota a consistent secondary creator. Rudy Gobert anchors the interior with 11.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per contest. Perimeter spacing has improved with Jaden McDaniels shooting 40.4 percent from three.
Chicago’s injury report is more extensive and could influence lineup flexibility. Zach Collins, Noa Essengue, and Trentyn Flowers are all ruled out, while Josh Giddey is listed as probable with a left ankle sprain.
Giddey remains central to Chicago’s offense when available. He averages 19.5 points, 9.2 assists, and 9.1 rebounds, ranking among league leaders in usage and playmaking.
Nikola Vucevic provides interior scoring at 15.8 points per game and stretches the floor at a 37.1 percent clip from deep. Coby White adds 20.5 points in limited appearances this season, boosting Chicago’s backcourt scoring.
