The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Moda Center on Monday.

The Timberwolves (13-13) come into this matchup winning three of their last five games. That hot streak started when Karl-Anthony Towns got injured, and it's encouraging to see this club play so well with their superstar sidelined. What it's done is allow these other stud players to step up. D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert have all been much better since KAT went down, and it's hard to understand why that's the case. Getting more usage and opportunities would make any NBA player better, and it'll be interesting to see how they look when the big man returns in a month. Until then, we really don't know who this team will be for the remainder of the season.

The Trail Blazers (14-12) had a nightmarish stretch in which they lost seven of eight, but this club has been one of the best in the NBA when Damian Lillard has been healthy. He missed all of that losing stretch and carried this club to an impressive 10-4 start before his injury. He also returned just last week, with Portland entering this matchup winning three of four. Having an All-Star in the lineup is obviously beneficial for any team, but it's even more critical when that guy is the most clutch player in the NBA. He's not the only one that deserves credit, though, with Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant having breakout years as well. As long as that core stays healthy, this is a team no one wants to face.

These teams just played Saturday night, with Portland prevailing, 124-118. That snapped a five-game winning streak by Minnesota in this series.