The Minnesota Timberwolves finally closed out a close game and walked away with the victory. If that's not impressive enough, they did so by making 9 of 10 attempts at the free throw line in the final two minutes (from three different) players to knock off the Hornets, 87-80. The Timberwolves finished shooting 86% from the free throw line! Minnesota got off to a sluggish start, allowing DaJuan Summers to score the Hornets' first 5 points, in his first start with the Hornets this season. After the first quarter, the Hornets led 21-16. Wesley Johnson had a solid first quarter scoring 7 of his 9 points on the night. The Timberwolves were able to put together a run in the second quarter that allowed them to narrow the deficit by just one-point; 37-38 in the first half. Luke Ridnour scored the final 5 points of the half to get Minnesota within one. The Timberwolves dominated the third quarter, allowing the Hornets to score just 13 points the entire quarter! That left the Wolves holding a 12-point advantage going into the final quarter; 63-51. Then, came the fourth quarter. The Hornets were able to put a couple runs together that allowed them to get back in the game. A real game changer was a shot Tolliver put up in the paint that was 'blocked' by Gustavo Ayon. It was a clear goaltending call as the ball actually hit the backboard before Ayon swatted it. The Hornets got down the court quick and Marco Belinelli threw up a three that went down to tie the score at 78 with just two minutes to go. The Hornets were in the bonus and the Hornets continued to be suckered into easy foul calls. Ricky Rubio went to the line twice with 1:46 to and 55.2 to go, he hit all four putting Minnesota up 4. Another empty trip for New Orleans led to a rebound for Love that he was fouled on. Within the next 20 seconds Love went to the line twice and went 3 of 4, putting Minnesota up by 7. The next trip was a 2-point bank shot by Marco Belinelli cut the score to 85-80. An intentional foul on Ridnour, resulted in two more made free throws, allowing Minnesota to walk away with the 7-point victory. Let's take a look at some statistics from each team tonight...
Clearly, Minnesota did their damage at the free-throw line. Surprising considering this was something they've struggled with all season long. As a matter of fact, Kevin Love shot more free throws (and made more) than the entire team of Hornets (Love went 17-for-18 at the line). Once again Minnesota struggled to control the ball and turned it over 17 times! For the Hornets the one stat that stands out to me? 32 team fouls! 32! That's crazy, a lot of loose ball foul call throughout the contest. Had Minnesota had one of their notoriously bad nights from the free throw line, they wouldn't be 4-7 this season! Let's take a look at some statistics for each team's key players in tonight's contest...
Kevin Love had a great second half scoring 28 of his 34 points all in the final two quarters (17 in the 3rd & 11 in the 4th). His free throw shooting and rebounding were the boost the Wolves need to be successful. He picked up his shooting and rebounding in the second half as well. For Ricky, it was his first start and he did so alongside Luke Ridnour. Rubio played a season/career-high 44 minutes. We'll see if he remains in the starting lineup going forward (no reason he shouldn't). For the Hornets it was Belinelli & Okafor. Belinelli working the perimeter knocking down plenty of deep & mid-range shots. For Okafor the majority of his points came in the paint, though he did step out and hit a few mid-range shots as well. His post-game certainly looked improved, perhaps it has something to do with the Hornets' acquisition of Chris Kaman (helping out the defensive big man).
That's all for now, stay tuned for some videos and pictures from tonight's game. Also coming up: the Timberwolves vs. the Hawks tomorrow with a 6pmCT tip--a full gameday preview of that one can be found on this site before then. Thanks for reading and GO WOLVES!
0 Comments
Minnesota begins a 2-game road trip, beginning Friday vs. the Hornets, followed by a game vs. the Hawks on Saturday. The Wolves will be without J.J. Barea & Michael Beasley for both games as their dealing with injuries. J.J. has a sprained ankle he suffered in the loss to Chicago and Michael is recovering from that mid-foot sprain. J.J. will likely be back before Beas, however. With two of their top players out, they'll be relying more and more on their bench. But, the question is, who will be on the bench for Friday's game? Rick Adelman was asked about a potential starting lineup change, but he wouldn't give any hints on his intentions for this game against Hornets, simply saying--it's something we'll definitely have to take a look at. Clearly, the Wolves' current starting lineup of Ridnour, Ellington, Johnson, Love & Darko--just isn't working. Every game, they get off to a sluggish start--because, let's face it, Luke & Kevin can't carry the load for the first 8 minutes of the game, all by themselves! During the second half of that game vs. Chicago, Adelman started Rubio, Ridnour, Tolliver, Love & Randolph--and let's be honest, they looked VERY good. The problem with a lineup swap? Who's coming off the bench in that second unit that's going to maintain or build a lead? My thought on a potential starting lineup swap? Start Rubio & Ridnour in the backcourt. Rubio can run the point, BUT can also guard the bigger shooting guards they'll face. Ridnour obviously benefits from playing with Ricky (scoring 22pts in that loss to CHI). At small forward? Start Anthony Tolliver. I was a bit unsure whether or not he could match up with the best small forwards in the League. Then, I remembered that game vs. Miami, when he matched up with LeBron and played some great D. Tolliver could be a defensive anchor, space the floor with his three-point shooting, rebound and his best attribute: his hustle! In the frontcourt? No change at power forward, Kevin Love is the starter at the 4 for Minnesota and will hopefully be Minnesota's 4 for years to come! Then, at center: Anthony Randolph. The way he plays with Ricky Rubio, you can't keep him off the court with him. He can score from 17-feet and in, he's athletic, and a lengthy defender. The only problem? He's not strong enough to defend some of the best centers in the League. In games when the Wolves face big men like Andrew Bynum, Dwight Howard, Andrew Bogut, Marc Gasol, etc., the Wolves could play Darko Milicic more (a true center). Anyway, on to this Hornets game. The Hornets are coming off a 95-85 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Hornets were led, in that game, by Chris Kaman and Carl Landry who both had 17 points. In the loss to the Thunder, Eric Gordon did not play for "personal reasons" in his place Marco Belinelli got the start. The Hornets are also, currently, without two of their "swingmen". Starting small forward Trevor Ariza has missed the past five games with a strained groin and as of right now, there's no timetable for his return. The other is the Hornets newly acquired reserve: Xavier Henry. He was a part of that three team (PHI, NOH, MEM) deal that sent Marreese Speights to the Grizzlies and him to the Hornets, Henry is still a week away from the active roster as he's still recovering from torn ankle ligaments. You won't see either of these guys in Friday's game. If the Hornets are also without Eric Gordon again (I have no idea), that will tip the scale in favor of Minnesota--quite a bit! Let's take a look at the starting lineups for Friday's game. This is who I think SHOULD start for Minnesota and who will likely go for New Orleans...
Let's be honest, the lineup I've put up for Minnesota there (the same they used in the second half vs. Chicago) isn't likely the group who'll start. For New Orleans though, that's the same lineup they used vs. the Thunder. The only change would be if Eric Gordon is able to play, he'll replace Belinelli in the lineup.
If Minnesota comes out and plays like they did in the final three quarters of that game vs. Chicago they'll have no problem against the Hornets. Some key matchups...Love vs. Okafor. Love is great on the offensive end, whereas Okafor is a beast on the defensive end. It'll be a fun matchup to watch. Joakim Noah did a good job of shutting down Love in the first half of the Bulls game. Okafor may be an even better defender, if he forces Love to beat him in the paint; it'll be a VERY LONG night for Kev. That's all for now. Tipoff is set for Friday, 7pmCT, at New Orleans Arena. A full gameday recap can be found on this site following the final horn. That's all for now, thanks for reading and GO WOLVES! Minnesota put up an incredible fight, but in the end, the Chicago Bulls had their reigning MVP to close out the game that went into the final quarter--still up for 'grabs'. Chicago jumped out to an early lead that was powered by a 16-0 run. After the first quarter the Bull had a 33-17 advantage. However, the TWolves weren't going down without a fight. Adelman tossed his spark plug into the game and suddenly the game changed drastically! The Timberwolves outscored the Bulls 30-20 in the second quarter and ended the half on a 20-2 run, orchestrated by Ricky Rubio and executed by Anthony Randolph & Kevin Love! Chicago led by just six points after being up by 24 at one point. The Wolves were able to keep it close the entire second half, but in the end, Derrick Rose was the difference maker. He's always had that ability to "turn it on" when he needs to and he did so, with a 14-point fourth quarter. Minnesota lost 100-111 and moved to 3-7 on the year. Ricky Rubio had a great game. He registered his fourth double-double of the season with 13 points & 12 assists. Kevin Love also registered his tenth double-double of the season and is the only player to do so in every game played this season, he finished with 20 points & 13 rebounds. Let's take a look at some statistics for each team in tonight's loss...
Rub your eyes all you want. The Minnesota Timberwolves turned the ball over just 11 times, while forcing one of the League's very best teams into 18! The problem? Although Minnesota had just 11 turnovers, they still allowed Chicago to turn those into 18 points. Minnesota, did a great job of scoring off Chicago's turnovers as well. Chicago out-shot the Wolves from deep and from the field. They also tore up the paint, a +16 for the Bulls! The 18 fast break points for Minnesota is a season-high, impressive mark against such a team. Minnesota played well tonight, they were in the final game of a back-to-back-to-back and became the first team in the League to drop such a game. But, they battled, which is important. In the end, we can cheer and be happy we stuck with one of the top teams in the League, but at season's end--it's just another loss. Enough of the moral victories--not enough of the real ones... Let's take a look at some individual statistics for each team's key players tonight...
The Wolves got big production from their starting point guard. He's been awesome these past few games and very efficient, shooting 20-for-29 in their past two games. Ricky Rubio had another awesome night with plenty of assists and over 50% shooting. Kevin Love stepped up and had another solid night. It was a 20-13 night for the double-double machine--now with 10 in 10 games. Randolph made Adelman keep him on the court, he had a great game on both ends and he's certainly showing he's worthy of more minutes a game. Darko & Ellington both started, but played just 8 minutes in the game (all first quarter) and Johnson played just 9 minutes (all first quarter) in the game. I think a starting lineup change could be on the horizon.
Rose & Deng led the charge for Chicago. Rose showed why he's the reigning MVP and why he'll be a contender for that once again this season. And Deng hit a number of shots from mid-range with defenders all over him. Chicago was without Rip Hamilton for the game with a groin injury, in his place Brewer got the start and performed well. 14 of those 17 points came in the second half (7 each quarter). That's all for now. The Timberwolves are back in action against the Hornets on Friday and a full gameday preview can be found on this site before then. Stay tuned for some pictures and a video recap/highlights for tonight's game. Thanks for reading and GO WOLVES! Minnesota moved to 3-6 on the season last night, in a 10-point loss to the Raptors that saw a stagnant Wolves fourth quarter offense. It was the second game of a back-to-back-to-back set and the Wolves clearly looked fatigued. It'll be interesting to see how the Wolves look in this one, especially against a Bulls team that is FAR superior to that Raptors team they faced yesterday.
Chicago currently sits at 8-2 on the year and is coming off a win yesterday versus the Pistons that saw the Bulls win 68-92. Chicago, is without a doubt one of the top teams in the League. They're a contender and are skilled at every position. With the reigning MVP as their floor general, the Bulls are a tough out--every time out! The Bulls' two losses came against the Warriors (99-91) & Atlanta (109-94). Minnesota has taken down two top-tier teams this season: Dallas & San Antonio, those are two veteran teams that are annual contenders. Chicago has stepped into that same role these past few seasons--with the emergence of Rose & Noah, the play of Deng & the additions of Rip & Boozer. That's a formidable starting five and one that the Wolves could struggle to match up with. Minnesota will again be without starting small forward Michael Beasley. He's recovering from a mid-foot sprain, he won't play in this one, but he could return for the Wolves' next game vs. the Hornets on Friday. J.J. made his return yesterday after missing five of the Wolves' last six games. He scored a team-high 16 points in just 17 minutes (he was limited by the team trainers, as 17 was the max minutes they allowed him to play). Hopefully he'll be able to play more tonight, especially if his performance can mirror what he did against Toronto. For the Wolves, it'll be all about whether they have enough 'gas in the tank' after a deflating defeat at the hands of Toronto. Kevin Love had just 13 points & 14 rebounds on 19% shooting! The Raptors forced him to play more back-to-the-basket rather than scoring faceup jumpers (something he's clearly much more comfortable with). If the Wolves want to have a chance to defeat Chicago--he's going to need to have himself a 25-15 game! The Wolves will likely trot out the same starting lineup they've used the past two games: Ridnour, Ellington, Johnson, Love & Milicic. The Bulls will likely counter with: Derrick Rose, Richard Hamilton, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer & Joakim Noah. Hamilton may not be able to go though. He didn't play vs. the Pistons yesterday with a groin injury, Ronnie Brewer got the place in his start and will, likely again, if Rip can't go. It'll be fun to watch Rubio vs. Rose. Any time the Wolves play a team with a solid point guard, it'll be fun to see how Ricky plays against him on both sides of the ball and that's, pretty much, always going to be the case. Beyond that, Love & Boozer could be interesting. Two very different power forwards. I'm actually excited to see how Boozer plays--it's been a while since I've seen him play, I think I've literally seen just one game since he's been in a Bulls uniform! Ultimately, Minnesota is going to have a VERY tough time pulling out a W in tonight's game. I'm not saying there's absolutely no chance, but it'll certainly be an uphill battle. A hill covered in rocks, snow and ice...Or something like that... That's all for now, I'll have a vidoe recap/highlights of yesterday's game up soon, you can also find pictures from yesterday's game already. Thanks for reading and GO WOLVES! A dreadful fourth quarter on the offensive end led to a ten-point loss for the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was the second game of a back-to-back-to-back set and fatigue certainly looked an issue versus a fresh Raptors squad led by Wolves former head coach: Dwane Casey. Minnesota had a six-minute stretch where they went without a basket. Tied at 80-80, with under six minutes to go the game ended on a 17-7 Raptors run. led by Bargnani, A. Johnson & Calderon (who combined for 18 of Toronto's 24 points). The Wolves' best player: Kevin Love, definitely looked gassed who's averaging almost 40mpg this season! He played 36 tonight and not all of them looked quality! Love finished with his lowest scoring output of the season; just 13 points and 14 rebounds on 3-of-16 shooting, two of those makes coming from deep and 5-for-10 from the free throw line. One bright spot in tonight's loss? Minnesota's bench. Particularly the return of J.J. Barea. Barea has missed the past five of the past six games with a strained hamstring. His return garnered 16 points in 17 minutes off the bench. He didn't play in the final six or seven minutes, something I didn't understand as he was clearly 'hot' from the floor. Let's take a look at some statistics from each team in tonight's game...
The Wolves shot a poor percentage from the field, clearly an off-night for the Wolves. They did hit seven 3's, but did so with a 29%-clip and once again they Wolves left points at the free throw line (7pts), both teams got the same number of points at the line, but Toronto did better from the field. For the second game in a row, the TWolves were out-rebounded, this time, the Raps with a +5 on the boards. And yet again the Wolves with too many turnovers, at some point, Rick Adelman will realize he can't afford to give Wesley 25 minutes a game (19 tonight) and in return: 0-for-5 shooting a couple rebounds and a couple turnovers. He's playing without confidence and some bench time may be the best option at this time. Start Ellington & Beasley (when he recovers) and actually get some scoring from your shooting guard. Ellington is good at not turning the ball over, as well. Averaging less than one turnover a game, while averaging in over 20 minutes a game! Minnesota also desperately missed Michael Beasley tonight. They were without him for the second game in a row and tonight it actually mattered. In those 6+ scoreless minutes, they could've used his ability to create his own shot, during that stretch when the offense went stagnant! He'll be out for at least one more (tomorrow vs. Chicago), but there's a chance he could return for the Wolves' following game: Friday vs. New Orleans. Overall, the play of Jose, Amir & Andrea were key in Toronto's victory. They accounted for all but 33 of Toronto's points as they played a combined 113 minutes! For Toronto, this is their first game of their own back-to-back-to-back set, could be a problem for them tomorrow! Let's take a look at some statistics for each team's key players in tonight's game...
Through the Wolves' first 8 games, Kevin Love was a fixture among the Wolves' top players in the game. Tonight's performance drops him out of that--without a doubt. He did have 13 points and 14 rebounds but he did it on 19% from the field! His inability to create shots in the paint with post moves, really hurt him tonight! 2 of Love's 3 made field goals came from deep. Something he REALLY needs to work on! J.J.'s return went GREAT and the Wolves' play off the bench was key.
For Toronto, as I've now said twice before...Bargnani, Johnson & Calderon were key in the victory. Amir matched up very well with Love and Bargnani bested all of the Wolves' frontcourt players he matched up with: Tolliver, Darko, Love, Randolph & Williams. The Wolves play again tomorrow versus the Bulls back at the Target Center. This'll end a back-to-back-to-back set for Minnesota. A full gameday preview of that game can be found on this site later tonight. Also stay tuned for some pictures and a video recap/highlights! Thanks for reading and GO WOLVES A win in Washington and on to the next. The Wolves are facing the Raptors, in their second game of a back-to-back-to-back set, that began with a win in Washington and ends on Tuesday back at the Target Center, versus the Chicago Bulls.
With the win over the Wizards, the Wolves moved to 3-5 on the year, now with wins over Dallas, San Antonio & Washington. They'll be looking for that forth over the Toronto Raptors on Monday as they travel North of the border against a Raptors team that's also 3-5 this season. This game marks the Wolves' first opponent that's had a coaching change this offseason. The Raptors hired Dwane Casey this offseason. Casey, of course is a former Timberwolves head coach (you can see his stats under the 'History-Coaches' page on this site! Both of these teams are young and rebuilding, while still searching for an identity. The Wolves' is becoming clearer with the astounding performances Love is doling out as well as the arrival of Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams & Rick Adelman. The Raptors made a lot of strange signings this offseason, grabbing the following free agents: Anthony Carter, Rasual Butler, Gary Forbes, Aaron Gray & Jamaal Magliore. A lot of strange parts added to a 'strange' team. Some veterans and some 'mediocre' role players. The Wolves' top players are obviously Love, Rubio, Ridnour & Williams. They'll be without Michael Beasley once again as he recovers from that mid-foot sprain. J.J. Barea will also be a gametime decision, he warmed up before the Wizards game, but decided not to 'give it a go'. If he doesn't return vs. the Raptors, it's almost certain he'll be back for the Bulls game on Tuesday. The biggest key for Minnesota will be maintaining a level of intensity and effort. They did a good job of staying focused and cruising to an easy win over Washington, however their previous two games to that, they obviously lost their focus. Coming off a two-game win streak, the Wolves faced the Grizzlies (without Zach Randolph) and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both resulted in losses, simply because the TWolves got 'cocky' and came in expecting the win. If they do that against this Raptors team, DeMar DeRozan & Andrea Bargnani will be happy to be Minny's wakeup call! Let's take a look at some of the Raps key players...
Led by impressive performances from Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams and as always: Kevin Love. By the final quarter, the Timberwolves were sitting on a twenty-point lead as the steamrolled, the now 0-8 Washington Wizards. With this win the Wolves picked up their first road win since March 2, 2011! And it was the first time the Wolves were able to pick up a win, in Washington since 2003! The Wolves move to 3-5 on the season as they'll move on tomorrow to face the Raptors in Toronto in the second game of this back-to-back-to-back set, rounding out with a game vs. the Bulls back at the Target Center on Tuesday. Today, was the first chance this season, I got a chance to watch the Wizards and I've got to say--absolutely NOTHING looked right about this team! Flip Saunders' seat is ready to go up in flames, VERY SOON! The Wolves were playing without Michael Beasley with that mid-foot sprain. Wayne Ellington started at shooting guard and Wesley Johnson was the Wolves' starting small forward. Minnesota was also without J.J. Barea. He warmed up but decided not to give it a go. Wolves saying there's a very good chance he'll play either tomorrow at Toronto and if not--Tuesday vs. Chicago. Let's take a look at some statistics from each team in today's game...
The TWolves out-shot the Wizards across the board and their unselfish play (mainly Rubio) more than made up for yet another 15+ turnover game! The Wizards were able to turn those into 20 points which, a lot came on the break with those 21 fast break points, posting a +15 in fast break points. Washington also beat the Wolves in the paint, with a +16! The Wolves' shooting from deep was huge! 10 made threes--that's 30 points right there! Let's take a look at some individual stats from some of today's key players...
A career night for Rubio in assists, a career night for Williams from deep and another one of Love's incredible outputs propelled Minnesota to the easy win. When you look at Washington's key players and realize those were the best tonight, you understand why the Wolves crushed Washington tonight. Wayne Ellington took advantage of the start in Beasley's absence and had his best game of the season, solid on both ends of the floor--I wish Wes did the same...but it was yet another disappointing effort from the young forward.
It was a great game for Minnesota, but they have to continue to build off of this and not take anyone for granted going forward. They'll be playing a less-than stellar Raptors team. So long as they keep their energy and effort up and shoot at a high percentage they can compete with any team in this League! Limiting turnovers would help as well, but that hasn't happen really at all this season! That's all for now, I'll be updating the stats page as well post some game pics & video sometime this evening. If you haven't already--check out our new Depth Chart page under the team section as well as all our new history pages under the History section on the site. Thanks for reading, stay tuned for tomorrow's Toronto preview and GO WOLVES! If the Timberwolves come in thinking they've got the easy win again, the Washington Wizards COULD snag their first victory of the regular season. The Wizards are 0-7 in this young season and could very well have already chalked this season up as another dismal year in the nation's capital. The Wolves are 2-5 this year with wins over Dallas & San Antonio. Since those two wins the Wolves have tallied two losses at the hands of Memphis & most recently Cleveland. The Cleveland game was certainly one where they came in thinking they already chalked up the win, but the upstart Cavs led by Antawn Jamison & Kyrie Irving. Another? The loss to Memphis who was without Zach Randolph. Rick Adelman has told them that they haven't won anything yet, they can't come in thinking they've already won the championship. Unfortunately the Wizards are a prime candidate for another team the Wolves'll underestimate! You win two games against championship-caliber teams and suddenly you think you're the best team in the League? Hopefully the past two losses have been a wake up call for Minnesota! Sunday's game @Washington marks the beginning of the Wolves' first (of two) back-to-back-to-back game(s) set this season, with games coming on Monday @Toronto & Tuesday vs. Chicago. All three games, it'll be important for the bench to be plenty productive! Kevin Love will contribute as he always does, however it's up to the likes of Rubio, Ridnour, Tolliver, Johnson etc. to step up and contribute. The Wolves will likely be without key players: Beasley & Barea. With those two key players out, it will bump Anthony Randolph & Nikola Pekovic into the 9th & 10th slots in Adelman's rotation. Beasley has that mid-foot sprain he suffered vs. CLE and Barea is still nursing a strained hamstring. Let's take a look at each team's projected starting lineup...
Mark it down, Sunday's game will be Ricky Rubio's first NBA start this season. Yes, I realize I said that once before, BUT with Michael Beasley almost certainly out, the Timberwolves could go with a two-point guard set versus Wall & Young. This'll also give Wesley Johnson a chance to play in his natural position, we'll see if he can be any more productive with a few games to work with. My opinion? I wouldn't count on much more consistent production from Wes. The main concerns for Minnesota vs. Washington? John Wall & Nick Young on the offensive end, both are averaging just over 15ppg and are the focal points of this offense. McGee will control the paint for Washington, blocking shots & grabbing rebounds.
My key matchup for this game is the battle of two young point guards: Ricky Rubio & John Wall. Wall has struggled early this season shooting just 36% from the field in his second season in the League. Ricky Rubio has got off to a hot start in his rookie campaign. He's getting plenty of minutes off the bench (playing every minute of every fourth quarter of every game this season). He's quickly gained the trust of his teammates and his coach and this game will be his first NBA start. He's incredibly unselfish (maybe even too unselfish, at times), a MUCH better shooter than initially thought and just an all-around 'joy' to watch! (A quick note: there is a small chance the Wolves decide to start Wayne Ellington at the shooting guard and keeping Ridnour as the starting point...honestly, I don't know) Needless to say, I'm hesitant to get too excited for this one. I'm just concerned about the Wolves' output. Meaning, I'm curious if they're going to show up to play or that they won't show up and assume they've already won. If it's the latter, I may go crazy! As long as there's effort, I'll be happy. As long as the Wolves give 100%, I'll be happy...even if that means they give the Wiz their first win this season! That's all for now, tipoff is set for 12pmCT Sunday (1/7). A full gameday recap can be found on this site following the final horn. Enjoy the game & GO WOLVES! I came into the Wolves' game vs. the Cavaliers tonight thinking it would be an easy win for the upstart Timberwolves. The Wolves' players may have been thinking the same thing! Jamison poured in 22 points and the Cavs rolled over the TWolves at the Target Center: 98-87. Tonight's game ends a five-game homestand for Minnesota as they'll head out on road for two games (Washington on Sunday & Toronto on Monday). The game on Tuesday vs. Chicago will end the Wolves' first (of two) back-to-back-to-back game sets in this shortened 66-game season. Darko got going early, with 11pts in the first quarter on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. By the end of the first, Cleveland held a 28-24 lead, a lead Minnesota would never regain! After one half, Cleveland held a 7-point lead; 52-45. It was a lackadaisical game for Minnesota all night long! It was a 12-point lead for Cleveland after three quarters. Kevin Love seemed the only one exerting himself in the second half with 20 of his 29 points coming in the final two quarters! By the end of the game, when Minnesota knew it was over and checked in Wayne Ellington & Nikola Pekovic checked in, sending Love to the bench, you could plainly see the frustration--despite Love's 29-14, the Cavs steamrolled Minnesota 98-87. Let's take a look at some stats for each team from tonight's game...
The Timberwolves were beaten in just about every aspect of the 'game' tonight. They shot higher percentages from the field, deep & the line; out-rebounded the Wolves with a +2, had more assists, steals, blocks, fast break points & forced turnovers. The Wolves scored 4 more points in the paint, but shot less than 40% from the field in the game, and once again left A LOT of points at the free throw line--tonight's biggest culprit: Darko Milicic; who shot 1-of-6! Had Minnesota drained all their free throws it's suddenly a ball-game again (one of the MANY things this young team needs work on). The difference in team turnovers was just 1, however Cleveland's ability to get points off them was key. Cleveland is the best team in the NBA at limiting fast break points and showed it once again tonight allowing the Wolves just 3 points on the break. Let's take a look at some stats for each team's key players in tonight's game...
Clearly, you can simply take a glance at those stats and see the Cavaliers got contributions from a lot of players! Our key matchups were Jamison vs. Love & Rubio vs. Irving. Love had the better game on offense, however it could easily be negated by his defense as well as his turnovers and fouls, while playing 6 more minutes than the vet Jamison. In the rookie matchup, the two point guards got close to the same minutes, Rubio had a great defensive game with 3 steals while shooting 50% from the field. Irving had 14pts, but also had 7 of his team's 15 turnovers, by any account--not a great game when you turn the ball over that many times!
OTHER NOTES: Michael Beasley sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter, he was on crutches and in 'great pain' after the game, word is he could miss a few games (likely won't go on the two-game road trip)....J.J. Barea was out again tonight, word is the coaching staff has yet to determine if he'll join the team on the two-game road trip, something to be determined very soon....Nikola Pekovic saw his first game action in the regular season tonight, playing two minutes in garbage time.... All around a lifeless effort from Minnesota tonight, something we also saw in that loss to Memphis. Hopefully the Wolves will step up the effort and production during this road trip. Their first stop is a game vs. the winless (0-8) Washington Wizards on Sunday and the Raptors on Monday! We'll have gameday preview of those games coming up in the coming days! Also, stay tuned for some pictures and a video recap of tonight's game--all on WeeblyWolves sometime tonight! GO WOLVES! "I told the (the team) that no one said this was going to be easy. We're not playing well enough as a team."--Rick Adelman following tonight's loss The Timberwolves had a chance to move to .500 on the year in their previous game vs. Memphis, but suffered another narrow defeat--losing 86-90. The Wolves are playing the final game of a five-game homestand. Minnesota has gone 2-2 during that stretch with losses to Memphis & Miami and wins over Dallas & San Antonio. It'll be the Wolves' first look at the Cavs' rookie and #1 overall pick: Kyrie Irving. Irving is the starting point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers after Baron Davis was injured and "amnestied" out of town. It should be fun to watch to rookie point guards (Rubio & Kyrie) go head-to-head. It'll also be the first meeting of the two top picks, with Minnesota's Derrick Williams (#2 overall pick) coming off the bench. Minnesota has proven early this season that they can compete with any team in the League. Their inconsistency in "closing out" games, however, has been just ONE of MANY Achilles' heels. Add to that list turning the ball over, interior defense, underwhelming starters (Darko, Wes, Beasley) and too often stagnant offense. And those are just a handful, I can think of off the top of my head (I'm sure you could make a 'laundry list' of negatives this season--BUT you could also find a lot more positives from a year ago!). The Cavaliers have begun this young season: 3-3. Their latest game? A 92-77 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors (if you haven't checked out video of their new 3D court logos--do so, it's pretty cool). Antawn Jamison leads the Cavaliers with 17.2ppg, he starts at power forward, so he'll be going up against Kevin Love--the Timberwolves' leading scorer at 25.7ppg. More comparison: Rookie Kyrie Irving is leading the Cavaliers with 5.3apg, while TWolves rookie Ricky Rubio leads Minnesota with 7apg (Rubio-Irving is definitely the matchup I'm most looking forward to seeing). The Timberwolves will likely, again, be without J.J. Barea who continues to recover from a strained hamstring. He COULD come back right now, but he's taking the time to be sure he's at 100% when he does return. There's been some quiet chatter Beasley could sit a few games to give his finger time to heal, as he said after the game vs. Memphis that his stitches are making it hard to "feel the ball". We'll see what happens there... The Cavaliers' only injury is to reserve guard Daniel Gibson with a finger injury. He did play 25 minutes in the loss to the Raptors. He's still currently listed as day-to-day on the injury report, but there's no doubt he'll be playing vs. Minnesota on Friday, especially since (like Minnesota) Cleveland has Thursday "off". Let's take a look at each team's starting lineups...
I don't expect Rick Adelman to make any changes to the starting lineup for this one. Luke's playing great and so is Ricky coming off the bench, it doesn't matter how loud the Target Center crowd chants RUBIO! in the first quarter, while Luke's knocking down floaters and threes! With Johnson, he's playing absolutely terrible. However, let's face it, Adelman doesn't have a lot of options--or really any, at the shooting guard--here's hoping Wes dramatically improves VERY SOON! Michael Beasley can't seem to find his shot and his stitched up finger sounds like it isn't helping. Lastly, Darko. I think Darko definitely had an off-night vs. Memphis on both ends, however he's been fairly impressive early this season in less minutes a game--a lot more motivated on both ends of the floor. The only change you won't see is a different power forward. Love's 25-15 performances are being second nature. Mr. Consistent is fun to watch and is carrying this team (you go to our stats page you can see his face on about every stat!
Cleveland is starting one of their top picks (Irving) while Tristan Thompson (selected 4th overall) is the backup power forward--coming off the bench behind veteran Antawn Jamison. Honestly, looking at Cleveland's roster, I don't see any real threats beyond Jamison (17.2ppg) and Kyrie (14.2), who'll likely combine for 25-40 points--beyond them and reserve point guard Ramon Sessions (averaging 10.5ppg) the Cavs don't have a lot of big-time scorers on their roster! With the Wolves' improved defense, so long as Minnesota shoots the ball well, I don't see them losing this game. The Timberwolves will have a chance to move to 3-4 on the year. Tipoff is set for 7pmCT at the Target Center. Following the final horn, we'll have a full gameday recap of this one right here! Until then, you can check out our new stats, videos & pictures page(s). Thanks for reading and GO WOLVES! |
Cody D. AndersonA Wolves fan bringing you Gameday Recaps all season long! 2014-15 Game ArchivesGameday Archives
December 2015
|