Fresh off their first win in the last six games the Minnesota Timberwolves travel to Atlanta, Monday to face another team that has struggled as of late, thanks in large part to injuries to key players. The Wolves are coming off an impressive win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday thanks to some improbable contributions from two guys they had signed that morning. Mickael Gelabale & Chris Johnson combined to score the first 23 points of the fourth quarter to provide a big boost and the W. Minnesota comes into tonight's game three games under .500 at 17-20 as well as 6-14 on the road, 3-7 in their last ten games and are currently ranked 10th in the Western Conference. The Hawks are 22-18 thus far as well as 13-7 at home, losers of their last two straight games, 2-8 in their last ten games and currently ranked 6th in the Eastern Conference. The Wolves and Hawks already met once this season and it was just a week and a half ago at the Target Center on January 8th. The Wolves got a big game from Nikola Pekovic and Dante Cunningham made a couple of 'clutch' plays in the final minute to seal a narrow 5-point W. Pekovic finished with 25pts, 18reb, 1ast, 1stl; Kirilenko added 21pts, 6reb, 5ast and Derrick Williams came off the bench to dump in 17. Josh Smith had 21pts, 13reb, 7ast, 1stl & 2blks & Lou Williams added 21pts, 4reb & 8ast in 43 minutes. Unfortunately, two of the players listed above won't be playing tonight... The Wolves will have ten healthy players for tonight's game. They'll be without Kevin Love (broken hand), Brandon Roy (knees), Chase Budinger (knee), Malcolm Lee (knee/hip), Nikola Pekovic (thigh) and Alexey Shved (ankle). Dante Cunningham missed Saturday's game with an illness, but did travel with the team to Atlanta on Sunday and is expected to play. The Hawks are having some injury problems of their own (nothing in comparison to Minnesota, but they certainly have their 'fair share'). Word came this weekend that Lou Williams has torn his ACL and will be out for the season. The Hawks have a number of players that are listed as day-to-day as well and will likely be gametime decisions in this one: DeShawn Stevenson (knee) and Anthony Morrow (back) both didn't play on Saturday, but could play tonight. Devin Harris did play on Saturday, but rolled his ankle and didn't return. It's more than likely he won't play in this one. The last time these two teams played, the TWolves snapped an 11-game streak of losses to the Hawks. Now, they'll play in Atlanta where they've lost their last nine games in ATL. Both teams are losing players to injuries and both teams have struggled since that meeting in early January. The Hawks have played seven games since then and gone 2-5 over that time, while the Wolves have played six games and gone 1-5 in that time. The Hawks' last game came against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. The Spurs sat Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli is still out with that hamstring injury he suffered vs. the Wolves a week ago, but Tony Parker carried the Spurs with his 23pts & 12ast for the five-point Spurs win; 93-98. Josh Smith finished with 21pts, 8reb, 3ast, 1stl; Kyle Korver added 19pts, 8reb, 1ast; Jeff Teague had 16pts, 4reb, 8ast and Al Horford contributed 9pts, 15reb, 6ast & 1blk. Let's take a look at the probable starting lineups for this one...
These are the starting lineups both teams used in their games, Saturday night. If the Hawks do indeed decide to go with their two center lineup, the Wolves better hope that Greg Stiemsma & Derrick Williams make a concerted effort on the boards tonight. Minnesota was out-rebounded by a +6 on Saturday and that was with the Rockets' best rebounder: Omer Asik looking completely lost out there. We can hope the same will happen tonight in Atlanta, but I wouldn't count on it! Gotta box out, put a body on someone and go up and get the boards.
The Wolves may change up the starting center position. Their other options remain: Dante Cunningham or Lou Amundson (if they want to go small) or, of course 10-day Chris Johnson. My guess is Stiemsma (unfortunately) remains the starting center until Pekovic comes back. That's all for now, tipoff is set for 1pmCT, that's 1pmCT!!! We'll have a full gameday recap following the final horn, enjoy the game and GO WOLVES!
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The Minnesota Timberwolves signed French swingman Mickael Gelabale and D-League center Chris Johnson just a few hours before tonight's game tipped and without them, they probably would've dropped their 6th straight game. Gelabale (10) and Johnson (13) combined for 23 of Minnesota's 29 points in the final quarter that saw the Wolves hand the Rockets their 7th consecutive defeat. After three quarters I was VERY worried about another game slipping away, as I assumed James Harden would take over and boost the Rockets to a narrow W. Instead the Wolves held Harden to just 4 fourth quarter points as they rode some great offensive production from Gelabale and Johnson for their first win in five games! The Wolves held Harden to 18 points on the night (the second straight game he's scored under 20, after going 22 straight games with 20+). Despite being guarded by Ridnour for long stretches, Harden just couldn't get it going. Gelabale was tasked with guarding him in the fourth and did so quite swimmingly! I think it's safe to say the Wolves found a solid addition in Gelabale, here's hoping we continue to see more of him. The Wolves had just nine healthy players for this one (two of which were Mickael & Chris that signed contracts this morning). Kevin Love (hand), Brandon Roy (knees), Malcolm Lee (knee/hip), Chase Budinger (knee), Nikola Pekovic (thigh), Alexey Shved (ankle) and Dante Cunningham (illness) were all out. As such, guys like Stiemsma & Amundson saw extended minutes, Kirilenko played 42, Rubio played a season-high 30 and their new additions Gelabale & Johnson played 21 & 18 minutes off the bench. Let's take a look at tonight's top performers...
With so many key players out, the Wolves desperately needed big games from their veterans. AK & Luke definitely delivered. Kirilenko had a great all-around game--scoring, hitting the boards, playing great D and just being incredibly active on both ends. Ridnour has found his shot as of late and that continued tonight with 16 points in extended minutes. The New Guys had great fourth quarters that propelled Minnesota to a win. Gelabale came into the fourth with just one point and Johnson had 2 off a J.J. Barea alley-oop. Then, they caught fire in the final quarter. Some great things about this? Chris Johnson was on the floor for the majority of the fourth, leaving Greg Stiemsma on the bench (something I'll always be a fan of). Also, Gelabale guarded Harden in the fourth quarter limiting him to just 4 points. The last time the Wolves played the Rockets (12/26) Harden went off for 15 fourth quarter points to propel Houston to a slim three-point W. James Harden's struggles are a small reason they lost the game, but without his all-around play they don't have much of a chance of being competitive. Little to no production from Houston's other four starters (Parsons, Patterson, Asik & Lin) just couldn't get anything going. Delfino & Smith had solid outings off the pine. Both chipped in big points and did so efficiently. MISC. STATS: Ridnour's 1 block ties a season-high.....Ricky Rubio played a season-high 30 minutes as his limit continues to increase.....Greg Stiemsma got the start at center and tied a season-high with 22 minutes, he probably would've played more if not for Johnson's great performance in the fourth.....Chris Johnson set new career-highs with 15 points and his 7 made free throws. He also tied career-highs with 4 made field goals and 8 free throw attempts.....
KEY STATS: The Wolves finally did what they couldn't in their last five games: they shot the ball well and actually played some defense (against one of the NBA's best teams), holding them to a 30% field goal night. Granted the Rockets clearly had a VERY 'off' night, but I'd let to give a bit of credit to Minny's D. The Wolves were beat on the boards by a +6, had a very low assist total and turned the ball over 15 times! Luckily, the Rockets also had a low assist total and turned the ball over 20 times!
I do think this Houston squad is a solid team, they'll probably make the playoffs as a lower seed, but they'll only go as far as Harden can carry them. Until/unless they can make improvements to their frontcourt, they're going to continue to struggle. MISC. STATS: Minnesota's 29 made free throws and 36 attempts are the second-best numbers of the season.....The Wolves' 30 field goals made, 3 three-pointers made and 4 steals all tie the second-lowest numbers of the season. Their 64 field goal attempts ties a season-low and their 14 assists is a new season-low.....Houston's 31 three-point attempts and 20 turnovers both tied the highest marks of the season for a Wolves opponent, while the 21 offensive rebounds is a new season-high for a MIN opponent.....Houston's 25 made field goals and 32.1% field goal percentage are both season-lows for Wolves opponents and their 14 assists ties a season-worst..... That's all for now, the Wolves will be back in action on Monday vs. the Hawks in Atlanta. That one tips at 1pmCT and a full gameday preview can be found on this site Sunday afternoon/evening. Until then, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! The Minnesota Timberwolves are one a five-game losing streak, but a matchup with the Houston Rockets may be what the Wolves need to get back on track. The Rockets started the season strong, but have since dropped their last six consecutive games. Of course, the Houston Rockets will be thinking the same thing! The Wolves have been decimated with injuries this season and with so many 'bodies' out, the Wolves could continue to struggle. Kevin Love (broken hand) and Chase Budinger (lateral meniscus tear) are both out until March, Malcolm Lee (knee/hip) is out for the season, Brandon Roy (knees) may never be back, Nikola Pekovic (thigh contusion) is expected to be out at least a week and Alexey Shved won't play tonight on that sprained ankle. Dante Cunningham is currently ill and is listed as a questionable for this one. They'll be going up against a Houston Rockets squad who are without just one player: Royce White. I don't think it's a good idea for me to give my opinion on Royce and how he's handling himself in the NBA, it won't be anything kind. The Wolves come into tonight's game 16-20 on the year, 10-6 at home, 9-13 vs. the Western Conference, losers of their last five games, 3-7 in their last ten games and currently ranked 10th in the West. The Rockets come into tonight's game 21-20, 7-13 on the road, 7-15 vs. the Western Conference, losers of their last six games, 4-6 in the last ten games and currently ranked 9th in the West. One team tonight is going to get a much needed win/boost tonight and the Wolves desperately need big games from some usually unlikely contributors. Without Nikola Pekovic (the Wolves' leading scorer...beyond K-Love) Minnesota's interior presence in this game will be practically non-existent! 20pts & 10reb from D-Will, Rubio getting his shooting back on track, Ridnour continuing his solid offensive outings, Dante finding the mid-range jumper again, Greg Stiemsma proving he can do more than foul out in single-digit minutes, Kirilenko continuing his great all-around performances and J.J. Barea slicing up the D to finish with 20+ points and a number of easy assists as well. These are just a few things that need to be done individually. Minnesota improving their putrid shooting percentage and proving they can get defensive stops would help too. Pretty basic stuff. Easy to say, difficult to execute. Starting the season the Wolves' starting five was supposed to be: Luke Ridnour, Brandon Roy, Andrei Kirilenko, Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic. Now, thirty-six games into the season the Wolves have undergone dozens of starting lineup changes. With so many injuries to so many key players, it's not a surprise that the Wolves are struggling on both ends of the floor. Their resiliency has been key, however they need to string those kind of performances through four full quarters if they want this losing streak to end anytime soon. The Houston Rockets have surprised many, many people this season. Jeremy Lin and James Harden have proven they'll be the backcourt of the future in Houston. Omer Asik has played well too and has the center position locked down. With upgrades at small forward and power forward, this team could be a perennial playoff squad and eventual contender in the next few years. Let's take a look at the likely starting lineups...
With Pek out, expect Stiemsma to get his third start of the season. The Wolves have power forward/centers: Derrick Williams, Dante Cunningham, Lou Amundson and Greg Stiemsma. Expect them all to see a bump in minutes.
There are a few keys to winning this one...
The Wolves have a slew of injuries, but they will be getting some bodies on the bench. Both Mickael Gelabale and Chris Johnson signed 10-day contracts prior to tonight's game. Gelabale is expected to play, but it's uncertain if Johnson will or not (I expect him to). With so few players, these two will definitely be seeing some court time tonight. That's all for now, tipoff is set for 7pmCT, enjoy the game and GO WOLVES! The Wolves kept this one close through three quarters, but by the final buzzer they were down to just nine healthy guys. Both Nikola Pekovic and Alexey Shved limped to the locker room during the second half as Minnesota's season just keeps taking hits. Terry Porter and Co. decided to change the starting lineup and went with Ricky Rubio, Luke Ridnour, Andrei Kirilenko, Derrick Williams and Nikola Pekovic as the starting five. Come Saturday, we may have to see more changes! After three quarters the Wolves were down just five points as they showed they were able to 'hang' with one of the NBA's premier teams. Yes, I know LAC was without Chris Paul, but their bench is so deep, they're still a very good team without him. With no Nikola Pekovic in the fourth and losing Shved with just a few minutes to play, the Wolves looked absolutely deflated as the lead ballooned to 15+ points. The Wolves are now losers of five consecutive games and things aren't about to get easier as they'll face the Rockets on Saturday, followed by the Hawks on the road, before returning home to face the Nets. Just before tipoff word came that the Wolves have indeed signed Mickael Gelabale, the French swingman we've heard plenty about for the past month. The terms of the deal are currently unknown, but he will join the team tomorrow. Lazar Hayward's 10-day contract expires today and he won't be back. Here's hoping Gelabale can come in and contribute, the last thing we need is someone to keep Greg Stiemsma & Lou Amundson company on the bench. Let's take a look at tonight's top performers...
Luke had a really good all-around game. He knocked away a couple passes, stripped a few balls on some of the Clipper bigs and hit shots from deep and from the mid-range. He certainly looked more comfortable playing next to Rubio off the ball. Here's hoping this was a sign of a things to come. Kirilenko struggled from deep, but his all-around game was terrific. He found his way to the rim for easy buckets and putbacks, while also making a big impact on the defensive end with those four steals. We highlighted that Jamal has struggled vs. the Wolves as of late, but tonight was quite different. With Chris Paul out and Eric Bledsoe in early foul trouble, Jamal got on the court early and was out their quite a bit. His play off the bench as the team's sixth man is a big X-Factor for this Clippers squad. Honestly though, as I noted before--their bench is so deep, he could've played terribly and the Clips still could've left Minneapolis winners. Griffin one of the West's starting frontcourt players as announced just prior to tonight's game. After he threw Pekovic to the ground tonight, my hatred for Blake was renewed. I'm not a fan of Blake, his high-flying dunks are fun, but he chooses style over efficiency one to many times. His four rebounds and awful mid-range shot still show major deficiencies in his all-around game. I also don't like his attitude, he tries to come across as a nice guy in all his interviews and those dumb Kia commercials, but one of these days he's going to tangle with the wrong guy and it won't end well. MISC. STATS: Cunningham tied season highs with his four offensive rebounds and four free throw attempts, he also set a new season-high with three made free throws.....Kirilenko tied season-highs with his five three-point attempts and those four steals.....Luke Ridnour set new season-highs in points (21) and field goals made (9), while also tying season-highs i field goals attempted (17), three-pointers made (3) and blocks (1).....Ricky Rubio's two made field goals ties a season-high, while those nine field goal attempts and twenty-six minutes played are new season-highs.....
KEY STATS: Despite turning the ball over 18 times for 18 TWolves points, the Clippers excelled shooting the basketball (as have most teams we've faced recently), they held a +7 edge on the boards, +20 in points in the paint and +22 in bench production. The Wolves did do a good job forcing turnovers and getting out o the break, especially in the first half (12 of their 17 fast break points came in the first two quarters).
MISC. STATS: Minnesota's 77 points are a new season-low and their 35.7% field-goal percentage is their second-worst of the year.....The Clippers' 13 three attempts ties the second season-low for a Minnesota opponent..... That's all for now, the Wolves are back in action on Saturday night vs. the Houston Rockets at the Target Center, until then thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! The Minnesota Timberwolves come home from a four-game road trip with their tails between their legs, riding a four-game losing streak. The Wolves have been much better at home this season and hopefully a return home can 'stop the bleeding' and get this team a win. The Wolves have lost four-straight on the road, but have won seven of their last nine games at home. Unfortunately the Wolves are returning home to face the Los Angeles Clippers--one of the NBA's best teams. The Minnesota Timberwolves come into tonight's game 16-19 this season, 10-5 at home, 9-12 vs the Western Conference, losers of four-straight, 3-7 in their last ten games and currently ranked 10th out West. The Los Angeles Clippers are 30-9 this season, 12-5 on the road, 21-5 vs. the Western Conference, winners of their last two outings, 7-3 in their last ten games and are currently ranked 2nd in the Western Conference. The Clippers' success this season is thanks in large part to the stellar play of Chris Paul & Blake Griffin. Even with Paul out the last two games, the Clips haven't lost a beat. That's no surprise considering their backup point guard is one of the best in the League: Eric Bledsoe--who no doubt have a new team and a starting job next season. Bledsoe has started the last two games in Paul's absence and has totaled 33 points on 11-of-21 field goal. The Minnesota Timberwolves struggled mightily during that four game road trip, however they've certainly put together a stretch of very 'rough' outings. Over the last nine games the Wolves are allowing 104.9ppg and during the month of January are allowing an NBA-worst 50.4% field-goal percentage. The Wolves have been adamant that they'll fight through injuries and won't let that affect their play. It's a nice thought, but with so many players out, it's near impossible. The Wolves are without Kevin Love (hand) for 8-10 weeks, Chase Budinger (knee) for 2 months, Malcolm Lee (knee/hip) for the season and Brandon Roy (knees) for...who knows how long/if he'll ever return. Those four have been out for a bit now, so that's really no surprise. Unfortunately during practice yesterday three players were out with 'illnesses': Andrei Kirilenko, Alexey Shved and Lazar Hayward. Terry Porter is adamant that they'll be able to play tonight...but I have my doubts (how can you not considering the season the Wolves have had thus far). Those are two starters and if all seven of these guys missed tonight's game, the Wolves would have just eight healthy guys. For the first time in four games the Wolves are facing an opponent that has some injuries of their own (the Thunder, Hornets, Spurs and Mavericks all had a fully healthy roster). Chauncey Billups (foot) and Trey Thompkins (knee) are both 'out indefinitely' and won't be available for tonight's game. Chris Paul (knee) who we talked about before, is listed as day-to-day. From everything I've heard, it's sounding as though he'll miss tonight's game. Let's take a look at tonight's possible starting lineups...
If Alexey & Andrei aren't able to play, my guess is the starting lineup would likely be: Ricky Rubio (3.8P, 4.6A, 1.4S), Luke Ridnour, Derrick Williams (9P, 4.3R, 0.5B), Dante Cunningham and Nikola Pekovic. That would leave a second unit of: J.J. Barea, Lou Amundson and Greg Stiemsma. If Alexey & Andrei are able to play, we could still see a change to the starting lineup. After yesterday's practice Porter admitted that the coaching staff were debating changing the starting lineup--particularly switching Cunningham with Williams at power forward. They're hoping Williams can provide some instant offense in the starting lineup and they can go back to having Dante's energy and hustle off the bench.
For Clippers, obviously if Chris Paul (16.8P, 3.5R, 9.7A, 2.6S) is able to play, he'll be in the starting lineup. That's all for now, tipoff is set for 7pmCT thanks for reading HOWL, enjoy the game and GO WOLVES! J.J. Barea had 11 first half points (all of which came in the second quarter). He was clearly on fire and taking it to his former team...in fact, he's the only reason the Wolves went into halftime, down just 10 points (ie: would've been a lot more without his production). As such, you'd think Porter would've gotten him in quickly in the second half. Unfortunately we didn't see him until their were under 3 minutes remaining in the third, by that time the Mavs had pushed the lead to 23 points! Another example? Nikola Pekovic played just 12 first half minutes. In the first half he had 9pts & 6reb. He was absolutely destroying Chris Kaman and Elton Brand inside and yet he played 12 first half minutes and just 32 minutes on the night. Terry Porter has said that his limited minutes recently have been because of bad matchups against Pek. Instead, let's go with Greg Stiemsma for extended minutes, so we can get blown 1-foot layups, while getting outmuscled on the boards and on both ends of the floor. Terry Porter has taken over for these last five games and VERY limited success, going 1-4 over that time. The worst part of it all? He's been trying to change things. Little things, like Pekovic's minutes and his insanely head-scratching substitution patterns. You can't blame these last four losses on Porter, but I'm not the only one who will be glad to see Adelman back on the sidelines. The Timberwolves found themselves down by 21 points after three quarters and seemed on their way to another blowout loss. With a lineup of Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea, Andrei Kirilenko, Dante Cunningham and Nikola Pekovic the Wolves came roaring back and were able to cut the lead to just 8 points. That's as close as they'd get as they simply couldn't stop the Mavs on a night when everything they threw up (regardless of where on the court) seemed to find bottom. J.J. Barea scored 8 of his 21 in the final quarter, Pek added 6 of his 20, while Rubio, Williams & Stiemsma all added four apiece in a 28-point fourth quarter. Regrettably the Wolves couldn't stop anyone and the Mavs walk away with their third straight win as the Wolves go home with their tails between their legs and losers of their last four games! Let's take a look at tonight's top performers...
J.J. Barea returned to Dallas and was able to play for the first time since signing with the Wolves as a free agent two summers ago. J.J. had a great night that included four threes and a number of plays where he sliced to the rim and finished with a layup or found the open guy. It was clear watching tonight's game that J.J. is a big key to this Wolves offense right now as I counted a number of times J.J. would get the ball and everyone else would stand around and watch as he'd look to cross-up his defender and drive the lane. Nikola Pekovic continues to play limited time under Porter and yet he still continues to produce. He struggled from the free throw line tonight, which is unlike the big guy. He finished just 40% on the night, whereas his season-average sits around 77% (75% after tonight). Kirilenko had a solid all-around game, however AK needs to produce a bit more offensively. The three Wolves guys listed above are three of Minnesota's best offensive weapons. Without them producing consistently, the Wolves will continue to struggle to find wins. Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo continued to prove why the Wolves' backcourt struggles are a glaring concern. Minnesota's backcourt allowed Darren & O.J. to combine for 43pts, 9reb, 18ast, 5stls, 15-22 FG, 4-5 3PT & 9-9 FT. Elton Brand looked like Jason Smith did a few games ago. Any thing the vet threw up from mid-range found bottom as no Wolf could stop him. He made seven consecutive shots at one point. It was that kind of night when the Wolves let him go off for 20pts! MISC. STATS: J.J. Barea tied season-highs tonight in points (21), three pointers made (4) and three-pointers attempted (7).....Dante Cunningham set a new season-high in field goals attempted (18).....Andrei Kirilenko's 6 offensive rebounds is a new season-high.....Ricky Rubio tied a season-high with his 2 made field goals and set new season-highs in offensive rebounds (3), total rebounds (5) and minutes played (26).....Greg Stiemsma tied a season-high with his two offensive rebounds.....Derrick Williams tied a season-high with his 2 steals.....
KEY STATS: The Mavericks shot almost 60% from the field, 46% from deep and 94% from the line, they finished with 33 assists, a +20 in fast break points and forced the Wolves into 15 turnovers that they parlayed into 22 points. The Wolves did hold a big rebounding edge (+13), but struggled in most every other area. It's clear that these last four games, the Wolves' defense has been bad as they're allowing guys to take warmup jumpers with very little defiance. Shooting between 32-40% from the field, doesn't help much either. Unfortunately the Wolves have just been bad on both ends as of late.
MISC. STATS: The Wolves set their second-best mark of the season on the offensive rebounds with 20 tonight.....The Mavericks set new season-highs for a Wolves opponent with their 46 made field goals, 59.7% field goal percentage, 33 assists and 113 total points, while also setting second-best marks in free throw percentage at 93.8% and their 31 fast break points.....The Mavs also set season-lows for a Wolves opponent with their 1 block and tied a season-low with their 4 offensive rebounds..... That's all for now, the Wolves won't be back in action until the 17th (Thursday) when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers at the Target Center in Minneapolis Minnesota. Thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! Tonight's game in Dallas will end the Timberwolves' four-game road trip. The Wolves are looking to escape the South with at least one win as they've lost games in Oklahoma City, New Orleans and San Antonio. While the Wolves are looking to avoid a four-game winless road trip, the Dallas Mavericks will be looking to tie a season-best with a third-straight victory. Minnesota comes into this game two games below .500 at 16-18, 6-13 on the road, 9-11 vs. the Western Conference, 3-7 in their last ten games, losers of their last three games and currently ranked 10th in the West. Dallas enters tonight's game eight games below .500 at 15-23, 9-7 at home, 7-14 vs. the Western Conference (including two losses to Minnesota), 3-7 in their last ten games, winners of their last two outings, but currently ranked 12th out West. Part of Dallas' struggles this season have been the health of their star Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk missed the first 27 games of the season as he rehabbed from offseason knee surgery. He's played in Dallas' last 11 games and started the last 5. In his last six games, Dirk is averaging 18 points a game. If he can play like the "Dirk of Old' tonight, the Mavs have a great chance of winning this one. In the last four meetings between these two teams, Nowitzki is averaging 27.3 points a game! The Minnesota Timberwolves will be facing a squad for the fourth straight game that has a full, healthy roster. The Wolves, on the other hand will be without four of their players: Kevin Love (broken hand), Malcolm Lee (knee/hip), Brandon Roy (knees) and Chase Budinger (knee). Head Coach Rick Adelman will also be out for this one as he misses his fifth straight game. You can find updates on the four injured players on our Injury Report under the Team Report header on this site. The Mavs are coming off an impressive 104-83 win over one of the NBA's better teams: the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizz were coming off an overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs the night prior and had tired legs vs. the Mavs the following night. Shawn Marion scored 20pts and added 4reb & 1ast; Dirk finished with 17pts, 6reb, 3ast & 1blk and Chris Kaman added 14pts, 7reb, 1ast & 1blk. Let's take a look at tonight's probable starting lineups...
Despite facing a Mavericks team that's eight games below .500, the Wolves haven't looked good in the second half of games during this road trip...and ultimately the majority of the season. If the Wolves want to turn things around they'll need to come out strong in the third quarter as that's been the time when they've lost a lot of games. Coming out of the locker room lethargic in the third will spell doom once again for our Minnesota Timberwolves!
Tipoff is set for 7:30pmCT, enjoy the game, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! The Wolves have now lost three-straight games as this four-game road trip has not been kind to our Minnesota Timberwolves. It'll mercilessly come to an end tomorrow night in Dallas as the Wolves will look to end it 1-3 (with losses to OKC, NOH and now SAS). Minnesota got a boost as J.J. Barea & Lazar Hayward back from injuries (back spasms & a sinus infection). J.J. has a slightly herniated disc in his back, he received an epidural injection in his back. We'll see how he looks tomorrow in Dallas. Lazar had a sinus infection that kept him out of Friday's game in New Orleans, he returned today to play 9 minutes off the bench. The Wolves ran into a Spurs team with a great starting five and maybe even a better second unit! The Spurs bench poured in 55 points on the night (they had 32 by halftime). The Wolves bench did a decent job themselves (scoring 39). The Wolves kept it very close all night. Minnesota was outscored in every quarter, but after three quarters of play, the Wolves were down by just seven points and were looking for their first win at the AT&T Center since the 2003-04 season! Unfortunately a couple of Spurs caught fire in the final quarter. Tiago Splitter scored 8 of his 10 points in the fourth and Gary Neal added 10 of his 15. Everytime the Wolves would string together a run and get the lead down to 4-6 points, the Spurs would make a big run to jump back ahead by double digits. The Spurs made one last rally in the last few minutes to push the lead to 19 points and ultimately finish off the Wolves for their 16th home win of the season. Let's take a look at tonight's top performers in this one...
Pek played under 30 minutes for the third game in a row, which still puzzles me (unless the hip strain continues to bother him or worse yet, Kahn is working on a trade). Nonetheless, Pek was effective as usual in limited minutes, scoring 14 points (8 of which came in the second quarter). J.J. Barea returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with back spasms and showed why he's so valuable to this squad. With his slashing ability as well as having another shooter on the floor, he's certainly a big part of this Wolves team. J.J. did finish with 15pts, but struggled a bit shooting the ball finishing just 1-for-5 from deep (though the majority of those came in the fourth quarter when the Wolves were hoisting up desperation threes in an attempt to cut into that big double-digit deficit). He also showed a bit of rust, turning the ball over 5 times--can be expected from a guy with a herniated disc in his back. Kirilenko had a solid all-around game. He didn't light it up on the offensive end, however he came up with a number of steals and the shots he did put up--a lot of them found bottom. Unfortunately, the Wolves need more from him offensively with so few options. Tony Parker played just 29 minutes and hardly at all in the fourth (if any) but still finished with 20pts as he sliced and diced through the lane routinely in the first three quarters to tally 20pts on the night. He got going early as 10 of his 20 came in the first quarter. Gary Neal got hot late and hit a number of big three point shots to boost the Spurs lead in that final quarter. Tim Duncan continues to defy old age. He was threatening a triple-double: 12pts, 9reb, 7blks! Five of those blocks came in the first quarter alone! Timmy was as impressive as ever and I don't see any reason he won't be in the League for a number of years more. MISC. STATS: Andrei Kirilenko tied a season-high with 4 offensive rebounds.....Ricky Rubio tied a season-high with his 6 field goal attempts and 22 minutes played.....Alexey Shved finished with 2 steals, this is the 11th game this season that he's had 2 steals in one game (and ties a season-high).....Lazar Hayward tied season-highs with his 4 field goal attempts and 1 three-point attempt, he also set new season-highs with 2 defensive rebounds, 2 total rebounds and 2 steals (those two steals also ties a career-high for the fifth time in his career).....
KEY STATS: The Spurs shot 56.3% from the field, out-rebounded the Wolves by a +5, +8 on assists, a +22 in fast break points, +20 in points in the paint, +16 in bench production and forced 16 turnovers for 22 points! I think it's clear why the Spurs won this one!
MISC. STATS: The Wolves' 10 personal fouls is a new season-low and their 24 defensive rebounds is the second-lowest of the season.....The Spurs set new season-highs for a Wolves opponent in field goals made (45), field-goal percentage (56.3%) and fast break points (32), they also tied a season-high (for a MIN opponent) with their 31 assists. Their 13 blocks are the second-most for a Wolves opponent and their 106 points ties the second-most for a MIN opponent..... The Wolves will be back in action tomorrow evening in Dallas vs. the Mavericks. That one tips at 7:30pmCT, expect a full gameday preview before then! Thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! The slumping Minnesota Timberwolves will face the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday evening in hopes of handing San Antonio just their third home loss on the season. Minnesota is 16-17 this season, 6-12 on the road, 9-10 in the Western Conference, 4-6 in the last ten games, losers of two straight and currently ranked 10th in the West. San Antonio is 28-11 this season, 15-2 at home, 15-8 in the Western Conference, 7-3 in their last ten games and currently ranked 3rd in the West. The Wolves are definitely struggling as of late, dropping 8 of their last 12 games including a 1-6 mark on the road. The Spurs have always been a great 'home' team, as most opposing teams coming into the AT&T Center find themselves leaving losers. The Spurs will be looking to capture their 12th straight home win in this one. History could serve them well too as the TWolves haven't won a game in San Antonio since the 2003-04 season! The Wolves did win two of their three meetings a season ago, but lost the last contest (in San Antonio, of course) 100-116. With so many injuries the Wolves are clearly at a BIG disadvantage. The last time out (@NOH) the Wolves have just nine healthy players and that lack of depth was definitely exposed in the second half. Minnesota will be without Kevin Love (hand), Brandon Roy (knee), Chase Budinger (knee) and Malcolm Lee (knee). Love could return sometime in March and would be available assuming Minnesota makes the playoffs. No one really knows if Brandon Roy will be returning to the court, last I heard he was undergoing a non-invasive/non-surgical treatment that would put him back on the court in 2-3 weeks...that was about 2 weeks ago. Chase Budinger had a checkup this past week in Florida and is still about two months away, making his return early-mid March. Malcolm Lee will be undergoing two surgeries in New York this week (one on the cartilage in his knee and the other on his hip) and is done for the season. J.J. Barea has missed the last two games with back spasms and there's a good chance he'll be out for this one as well. He's currently listed as day-to-day. Lazar Hayward missed Friday's game in New Orleans with 'flu-like symptoms'. I assume he'll be available, but that remains to be seen, we'll have an update on J.J. & Lazar's status' prior to tipoff. For the third consecutive game (OKC, NOH and now SAS) the Wolves are facing an opponent that has a full roster with no significant injuries! Not only do the Spurs have a full roster, they also have some very good depth on the bench with a second unit like this: Gary Neal, Manu Ginobli, Stephen Jackson, Matt Bonner and Boris Diaw. Those five will be going up against a second unit for MIN of: Ricky Rubio, Lazar Hayward, Derrick Williams, Lou Amundson and Greg Stiemsma...yikes! Here's hoping J.J. can play tonight! The last time out the Spurs faced the Grizzlies in Memphis on Friday (1/11). The result was a 98-101 overtime loss. Tony Parker hit a 27-foot buzzer beater to force overtime. The Grizz outscored the Spurs 3-6 in overtime. Rudy Gay knocked down a 14-foot mid-range jumper with 27.8 seconds to play to seal a Memphis W. Tony Parker had 30pts, 1reb, 5ast; Manu Ginobli added 14pts, 6reb, 5ast, 1stl off the bench and Tim Duncan finished with 13pts, 15reb, 4ast & 3blks. Let's take a look at tonight's probable starting lineups...
Nikola Pekovic is averaging 20.3P on 59.6% field goal as well as 12.3R in his last four games while only playing 28.3 minutes a game! It's clear his strained hip is still bothering him or at least the Wolves are being cautious with him as he's played 29 & 27 minutes in his last two games. As always, his inside dominance will be a big key if the Wolves want to stay competitive in this one.
Tipoff is set for 6pmCT and a full gameday recap can be found on this site following the final horn, until then, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! The TWolves found themselves up 15 after just one quarter and seemed to be well on their way to an easy victory over the worst team in the Western Conference. Unfortunately in the final three quarters Minnesota's wheels fell off...in fact the lights dimmed, the windows shattered and the engine stalled. The Minnesota Timberwolves had just nine healthy players as they continue to play on without Kevin Love (hand), Brandon Roy (knee), Chase Budinger (knee) and Malcolm Lee (knee). However on Friday night they also played without J.J. Barea (back) and Lazar Hayward (ill). They were going up against a Hornets squad that had a full roster (with no significant injuries) and after just 12 minutes and 1 second head coach Monty Williams had played every player on his roster! The Wolves led 29-14 after one quarter that was thanks in large part to a hot start from Nikola Pekovic. Nikola scored the Wolves' first six points and scored 10 of his 18 total points in the first. The Wolves strung together a 20-2 run during the quarter. The Hornets turned the ball over 7 times and shot just 35.3% from the field. Things got incredibly sloppy in the second quarter as the Hornets came roaring back from 15 down and scoring just 14 points in the first quarter. A 21-10 run helped cut the lead to just a two possession game heading into the halftime. Things turned even worse in the third quarter as the Wolves were outscored 15-30. Anthony Davis scored 8 of his 9 points in the third and Greivis Vasquez added 7 of his 18 in that third quarter. The Timberwolves scored just 15 in that third quarter, but followed it up with a 31-point fourth quarter, unfortunately the Hornets scored 34 points of their own in that final quarter and what was once an 18-point TWolves lead resulted, ultimately in a 12-point Hornets win. Let's take a look at tonight's top performers...
Luke Ridnour had a solid game on the offensive end, however he was exposed on the defensive end as Vasquez absolutely tore up Minnesota's D with his slashing to the rim and his kick out passes. Luke has definitely struggled shooting the ball as of late and hopefully tonight's 20-point game in which he shot 50% from the field will be a turning point for Luke offensively. Nikola Pekovic started off hot with 10 points in that first quarter, however he only ended up playing 29 minutes in the loss. Since straining his hip he's seen less minutes than he's accustomed to play this season. You've got to think that it's still bothering him and has led to him playing less minutes the past few games. It's unfortunate he didn't see the court more as he clearly gave the Wolves a BIG advantage in the paint. Kirlenko had a good game statistically, however watching the game he didn't quite look himself out there. He did finish with 2 steals and 1 block, however he looked a step slow defensively and made a number of questionable plays with some bad passes and bad shot attempts. The three above players continue to produce offensively, but the Wolves need more input from guys like Derrick Williams, Alexey Shved and a healthy J.J. Barea would REALLY help! Getting Rubio on the court more (no minute limitation) will be key too. In the preview I talked about how Vasquez was a legitimate Most Improved Player of the Year candidate, after watching him tonight, if he continues this stellar play--should be taking home the hardware come April. The Wolves got Vasquez into foul trouble early and he had to sit with two first quarter fouls. Prior to that he was making his way to the rim at will and making the Wolves' D look B-A-D. After sitting early with those fouls, Greivis returned in the second half where he scored 12 of his 18 points, picking up right where he left off. Last year's MIP Ryan Anderson is coming off the bench in New Orleans, playing behind #1 pick Anthony Davis. Anderson is certainly an impressive player and one of the NBA's best big man three-point shooters. Jason Smith is another big that comes off the bench and he's another big that made the Wolves' D look foolish. Smith put on a mid-range shooting clinic that the Wolves had no hope of slowing down. He finished the night with just one miss in 8 tries and 14 points (12 of which came in the fourth quarter, with the game still 'up for grabs'). MISC. STATS: Dante Cunningham tied a season-high with his two made free throws.....Andrei Kirilenko's 8 free throws made and 10 free throw attempts are both new season-highs.....Luke Ridnour scored a season-high 20 points.....Ricky Rubio tied a season-high with his 22 minutes played.....Alexey Shved tied a season-high for the tenth time with his two steals tonight.....Greg Stiemsma's 2 offensive rebounds ties a season-high.....
KEY STATS: Minnesota shot the ball pretty well from the field and did a good job of getting to the free throw line, however that's where the compliments stop. They allowed the Hornets a lot of easy buckets that resulted in a shooting percentage over 50% from the field. The Hornets also held a +13 advantage on the boards (against a Top-5 rebounding team), a +8 in points in the paint and got 45 points from their full bench, compared to a Wolves team with just four players and 14 points.
MISC. STATS: The Wolves' 6 offensive rebounds and 25 defensive rebounds are both the second-lowest marks of the season, Minny's 31 total rebounds is a new season-low and their 13 fouls ties the second-lowest mark this season.....The Hornets' 44 field goals made and 29 assists are both tied as the second-highest totals for a Wolves opponent this season.....New Orleans' 9 free throw attempts and 3 blocks are both tied for the second-lowest totals (for a Wolves opponent) this season..... That's all for now, the Wolves will be back in action on Sunday in San Antonio vs. the Spurs. Thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! |
Cody D. AndersonA Wolves fan bringing you Gameday Recaps all season long! 2014-15 Game ArchivesGameday Archives
December 2015
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