Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Moves to bench
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Alexander-Walker will move to the bench for Thursday's Game 6 versus Denver.
This is an expected move with Mike Conley back from his injury. Alexander-Walker fared well in his spot start in Game 5, producing 14 points (5-12 FG, 4-8 3Pt), two rebounds, five assists and two blocks across 39 minutes.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Serviceable in spot start
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Alexander-Walker amassed 14 points (5-12 FG, 4-8 3Pt), two rebounds, five assists and two blocks across 39 minutes during Tuesday's 112-97 loss to the Nuggets in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Alexander-Walker moved into the starting lineup Tuesday, replacing Mike Conley who was ruled out due to an Achilles issue. While he was far from spectacular, Alexander-Walker cobbled together a serviceable performance, contributing on both ends of the floor. Now trailing 3-2 in the series, Minnesota will hope Conley is cleared to return for Game 6. If that's not the case, expect to see Alexander-Walker running with the starters again.
Alexander-Walker is in the starting five for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Nuggets.
Alexander-Walker will replace Mike Conley (Achilles) in the starting lineup Tuesday. Alexander-Walker averaged 11.5 points, 3.6 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 32.3 minutes across his previous 10 starting appearances this season, which all came during the regular season.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Not on injury report
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Alexander-Walker (shoulder) is not on the injury report ahead of Sunday's Game 4 against the Nuggets.
Alexander-Walker appeared to hurt his left shoulder during Game 3 on Friday, and he was complaining about the pain in the locker room after the game. However, it appears that he escaped without anything too serious, and fantasy managers can expect him to suit up in his usual role Sunday.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Appears to hurt shoulder Friday
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Alexander-Walker played through an apparent left shoulder injury before he was ejected with 5:44 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves' 117-90 loss to the Nuggets in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal round, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "Right now, it hurts," Alexander-Walker said of his shoulder. "We'll see what happens [Saturday] when I wake up and everything's settled."
Alexander-Walker scored six points (2-5 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and added two assists in 26 minutes off the bench before he and Kyle Anderson were both assessed technical fouls midway through the fourth quarter for arguing with officials. He appeared to hurt his shoulder shortly before the ejection, as he was on the receiving end of a hard screen, and his frustration with the officials stemmed from what he perceived as a missed foul call. The reserve wing's status is now in question for Sunday's Game 4.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Shines off bench in Game 2
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Alexander-Walker accumulated 14 points (5-9 FG, 4-7 3Pt), six rebounds, one assist and three blocks in 30 minutes during Monday's 106-80 win over the Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
As has been the case throughout the entire playoff run, Alexander-Walker was impressive and provided a scoring punch off the bench, unsettling the Nuggets with his long-range shooting and energy. Alexander-Walker averaged just 8.0 points per game during the regular season, but he's taken his play to another level in the playoffs, scoring in double digits in four of his six appearances while upping his scoring average to 11.3 points per game.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Quiet in Game 4 win
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Alexander-Walker finished Sunday's 122-116 victory over Phoenix in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with five points (2-9 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds, four assists and two steals in 31 minutes.
Alexander-Walker wasn't able to get much going offensively, but coach Chris Finch still trusted him with a significant workload. That's been the case for the entire series, as Alexander-Walker averaged 12.3 points, 4.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.3 three-pointers in 31.0 minutes per game as the Timberwolves completed their sweep of the Suns.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Leads bench offensively in win
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Alexander-Walker ended Saturday's 120-95 win over Phoenix in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals with 18 points (7-12 FG, 4-9 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists and four steals in 29 minutes.
Alexander-Walker led all bench players in Saturday's Game 1 in scoring while ending two points shy of the 20-point mark and swiping a team-high quartet of steals to lead the second unit. Alexander-Walker, who also connected on a team-high-tying mark from three Sunday, tallied 18 or more points in five games during the regular season while connecting on four or more threes in seven contests.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Stands out with 23-point effort
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Alexander-Walker notched 23 points (9-19 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals over 31 minutes during Tuesday's 130-121 win over the Wizards.
Alexander-Walker is ending the regular season on a solid note. He's scored in double digits in four straight games, marking his longest streak of the season reaching that feat. Even though his upside is limited due to his bench role, Alexander-Walker should continue to play a vital role in Minnesota's rotation.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Will come off bench
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Alexander-Walker will return to a reserve role Friday in Phoenix.
After starting in place of Mike Conley (rest), Alexander-Walker will be back to his usual role off the bench. He has averaged 7.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 21.3 minutes in 56 games as a reserve this year.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Loigs 14 points in spot start
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Alexander-Walker produced 14 points (5-7 FG, 4-6 3Pt), two rebounds, three assists and one steal in 23 minutes during Wednesday's 133-85 victory over Toronto.
The team gave Mike Conley (rest) the night off, giving Alexander-Walker the initial crack with the first unit. Eventually, the Timberwolves emptied their bench in the blowout and gave Monte Morris and Jordan McLaughlin time in the backcourt as well. Alexander-Walker drained four three-pointers in 23 minutes on the floor, logging his best total since exploding for 28 points against the Clippers on March 12.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Starting at point guard Wednesday
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Alexander-Walker will start in Wednesday's game against the Raptors.
Alexander-Walker will step into Mike Conley's (rest) vacated starting spot, marking his 20th start of the campaign. In his previous 19, Alexander-Walker averaged 9.5 points, 3.2 assists and 2.8 rebounds.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Back to bench
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Alexander-Walker will return to a reserve role for Friday's game against the Cavaliers, Serena Winters of Bally Sports Cleveland reports.
With Naz Ried (head) and Rudy Gobert (ribs) returning to the starting lineup, Alexander-Walker will return to his usual reserve role. The 25-year-old has averaged 7.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 21.5 minutes in 50 games off the bench.
Alexander-Walker will start Tuesday's game against Denver.
With Rudy Gobert (ribs) and Naz Reid (head) sidelined, Minnesota will use a smaller lineup with Kyle Anderson starting at the five. Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels round out the starting five. Alexander-Walker has been on fire, averaging 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.3 three-pointers over his last four games.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Plays well in 34 minutes
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Alexander-Walker provided 13 points (4-11 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, five assists, two blocks and three steals over 34 minutes during Monday's 114-104 victory over the Jazz.
This was a solid overall performance from Alexander-Walker as he continues to step up for the shorthanded Timberwolves. Alexander-Walker has produced third-round fantasy value in nine-category leagues over his last four outings, averaging 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.3 three-pointers.
Alexander-Walker finished Tuesday's 118-100 victory over the Clippers with 28 points (9-10 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), three rebounds, one assist and one block in 28 minutes.
With Kyle Anderson and Rudy Gobert back in the lineup, Alexander-Walker was moved to the bench for Tuesday's game, but he still maintained a significant role. It helped his case that he had a hot hand. March has been his best month of the season by far, as he's currently averaging 12.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 three-pointers over his last seven appearances.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Rejoins second unit
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Alexander-Walker will come off the bench for Tuesday's game versus the Clippers, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Rudy Gobert (hamstring) and Kyle Anderson (shoulder) are back for Minnesota, while Anthony Edwards will continue to fight through ankle and shoulder pain. In a spot start against the Lakers on Sunday, Alexander-Walker finished with 15 points (6-11 FG, 3-4 3Pt), seven rebounds, five assists and two steals over 39 minutes.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Posts 15 points in spot start
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Alexander-Walker supplied 15 points (6-11 FG, 3-4 3Pt), seven rebounds, five assists and two steals over 39 minutes during Sunday's 120-109 loss to the Lakers.
Alexander-Walker usually occupies a spot with the second unit, but multiple absences sent him on the floor with the starting five. The loss of Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) has caused a ripple effect within the depth chart, resulting in players like Alexander-Walker, T.J. Warren and Luka Garza seeing more time on the court. The team will get some much-needed support when Rudy Gobert (hamstring) and Kyle Anderson (shoulder) return, which will cap Alexander-Walker's potential.
Alexander-Walker will start at forward in Sunday's game against the Lakers, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Alexander-Walker will replace Kyle Anderson (shoulder) in the starting lineup. The 25-year-old has averaged 9.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists across 28.9 minutes in 17 games this season.
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Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Draws last-minute start
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Alexander-Walker is starting Monday's game against the Trail Blazers, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reports.
Krawczynski notes that Anthony Edwards was late getting onto the court for tipoff, so Alexander-Walker was inserted into the starting lineup at shooting guard. Edwards is set to enter play at the first whistle, so Alexander-Walker is in line to shoulder his normal workload Monday night.
