Timberwolves' Malik Beasley: Strong effort in limited minutes

Beasley recorded 17 points (7-11 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT), four assists, two steals and one rebound in 25 minutes during Friday's 116-98 loss to the Hawks. Beasley did everything he could, but limited contributions from his teammates led to a blowout loss, which ultimately led to coach Ryan Saunders keeping Beasley on the bench to stay fresh for Saturday's game. With D'Angelo Russell (rest) out against the Pelicans, Beasley could again be asked to take on a big offensive role. Over the past six games, he's averaging 21.0 points on 17.3 shots, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 33.7 minutes.