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Mike Conley returning from sprained toe; possible Rob Dillingham impact

The Timberwolves are 0-4 without Conley and 8-5 with the veteran point guard in the lineup.
Joe Nelson|
Nov 13, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley (10) warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images
Nov 13, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley (10) warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images | Soobum Im-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Timberwolves

Mike Conley will return to the lineup Wednesday night as the Timberwolves host the Kings at Target Center, and it'll be a breath of fresh air for Minnesota offense that has struggled without him running the point.

The Timberwolves are 0-4 without Conley and 8-5 with the veteran point guard in the lineup.

Conley missed the past two games with a big toe sprain and he is not listed on the injury report ahead of Wednesday's 7:10 p.m. CT start. With Conley back in the starting lineup, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Donte DiVincenzo, who have started in Conley's place on different occasions, will be back on the bench in reserve roles.

It's unclear if Rob Dillingham's role will shrink with Conley back. The 19-year-old rookie has burst onto the scene with an expanded role the past two games and provided a spark as a playmaking point guard, scoring 14 points in a close loss to Boston and then finishing with 12 points and seven assists in an overtime loss to the Rockets on Tuesday night.

If Dillingham does get more minutes, it could mean fewer minutes to share between Alexander-Walker and DiVincenzo. DiVincenzo has battled through major struggles, and they appeared to come to ahead against Houston as he was pulled from the game with 7:20 left in the third quarter and didn't get play again the rest of the night.

Minnesota started the season 6-3 but has since dropped six of the past eight games, including three in a row.

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Joe Nelson
JOE NELSON

Joe Nelson has more than 20 years of experience in Minnesota sports journalism. Nelson began his career in sports radio, working at smaller stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before moving to the highly-rated KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. While there, he produced the popular mid-morning show hosted by Minnesota Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen. His time in radio laid the groundwork for his transition to sports writing in 2011. He covers the Vikings, Timberwolves, Gophers and Twins for On SI.

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