Thunder-Timberwolves Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Dec 26 2011 1:43AM

The Oklahoma City Thunder quickly proved why many believe they are the best team in the Western Conference.

The Minnesota Timberwolves simply hope to show they're no longer the league's doormat.

Oklahoma City seeks its 10th straight win over Minnesota when the teams meet Monday night at the Target Center in the Timberwolves' season opener.

Led by two-time defending league scoring champion Kevin Durant, the Thunder are a favorite to make the franchise's first NBA finals appearance since the Seattle SuperSonics lost in six games to Michael Jordan and Chicago in 1996.

Durant helped back that notion by scoring 30 points in Sunday's season-opening 97-89 victory over Orlando, hitting 11 of 19 shots.

"It's something we can't control," Durant said of the expectations. "We have to keep getting better every day and see what happens."

Oklahoma City led by as many as 22 points and held Magic star Dwight Howard to only 11 in winning its third straight season opener.

"We know there are outside expectations," coach Scott Brooks said. "But there aren't absolutes or guarantees. Our guys just work. I know it gets boring at times, but we like that. We're not going to change. We're all in the same boat on that. You can never become complacent. It has to be about the team."

The Thunder must be sure not to let their guard down against a Minnesota team they haven't lost to since their first season in Oklahoma City.

Durant has averaged 31.8 points during the nine-game winning streak against the Timberwolves, scoring 47 during a 118-117 overtime victory in his last trip to Minneapolis on Jan. 26.

Kevin Love had 31 points and 21 rebounds in that contest for Minnesota, which is looking for improvement under new coach Rick Adelman.

The Wolves finished 17-65 last season, marking the first time they've gone back-to-back seasons with fewer than 20 victories since 1991-92 and 1992-93. They were 15-67 in 2009-10.

Adelman, however, has instilled a different mentality in the team since the opening of camp, pointing out Minnesota's obvious flaws and challenging his new squad to improve.

"There's a reason why they didn't win a lot of games," Adelman said. "Stats don't lie."

Wes Johnson, entering his second season, said he believes Adelman has brought positive changes to a team that badly needed them.

"We sensed it the first day we got into Target Center for practice, in the first meeting before we got on the court," Johnson said. "You can sense it is going to be a totally different year."

Love is the cornerstone of the Timberwolves' potential turnaround, averaging 20.2 points and a league-best 15.2 rebounds last season.

His inside-outside game makes him one of the toughest players in the league to guard, as he shot 41.7 percent from 3-point range in 2010-11, and he arrived for this season in even better shape.

"I don't know if huge jump is the right word. I don't know what it's going to be," Love said. "But I do feel like not only with our coaching staff, but just everybody on the same page, just the feel of training camp, it's just different, and different in a good way."

Another positive change is the addition of Ricky Rubio, the international superstar point guard whose much-anticipated debut comes after a lengthy wait. Minnesota chose Rubio - now 21 - fifth overall in the 2009 draft, but he initially decided to continue playing in Spain before making the transition to the NBA.

Adding Rubio's quickness and floor vision to potential stars Love, Michael Beasley and rookie Derrick Williams, and the Timberwolves are setting much higher expectations.

Minnesota also added J.J. Barea, who won an NBA title with Dallas last season.

Love, a teammate of Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook at UCLA, missed the most recent meeting with Oklahoma City on March 25 with a groin injury. Westbrook had 19 points and a game-high eight assists as the Thunder won that one 111-103.

Thunder survive against Timberwolves, 104-100

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Posted Dec 27 2011 12:02AM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder are primed to challenge for the Western Conference title this season, three years after the core of one of the most promising teams in the league was assembled.

Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves are a few years behind them, but hope to follow the same path.

Durant scored 33 points to lead the Thunder to a 104-100 victory over the Timberwolves on Monday night.

Russell Westbrook added 28 points, six assists and six rebounds, and James Harden scored 16 points for the Thunder, who have started off a season loaded with expectations at 2-0.

"These are definitely games you got to be able to knuckle down, concentrate and get a win," Westbrook said.

Westbrook and Durant took their lumps in 2008-09, when they won just 23 games. Three years later, they're the ones giving them.

"We have a lot of guys that can get a basket: Russell, of course, James is really stepping it up scoring the ball," Durant said. "I think we feed off each other really well; it's not like guys are being selfish playing one-on-one basketball."

Love had 22 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, and Ricky Rubio had an impressive debut with six assists, six points, five rebounds and no turnovers for the Timberwolves, who hung with one of the best teams in the league all game long.

"That's a team that's a contender and we took them down to the last minute. ... The best thing is we gave ourselves a chance and if we play like that the rest of the season and continue to get better we're going to win a lot of games," Love said.

The Wolves led 96-95 with 3 minutes to play when Westbrook drove the length of the floor, hit a layup and the free throw for a three-point play to put the Thunder ahead.

Oklahoma City never trailed the rest of the way, but this one was in doubt from start to finish.

Michael Beasley scored 24 points on 11 for 27 shooting, and No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams scored 13 for the Wolves, who were 3 for 22 from 3-point range.

With new coach Rick Adelman on the bench and Rubio, Williams and JJ Barea added to the roster, there is a buzz surrounding the Timberwolves, who lost 132 games over the previous two seasons and haven't been to the playoffs since 2004, for the first time in ages.

The Wolves sold out their home opener for the first time since 2007, and there is a new hope coming from one of the league's most hapless franchises. Much of it centers around Rubio, the dazzling, 21-year-old point guard who arrived from Spain this offseason after being chosen fifth overall in 2009.

"I've been hearing about him for six years and I saw him for the first time 30 minutes (ago) and it was like he is real," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said before the game, with only a hint of sarcasm. "Like a folk hero."

Rubio entered with just over 3 minutes to play in the first quarter, and he electrified Minnesota's offense with his sensational passing. He zipped a pass through the lane that nearly took Thunder forward Nick Collison's head off before finding Barea for a layup. That started a run of three straight assists that got the crowd on its feet and gave the Wolves a 32-26 lead in the second quarter.

"I feel comfortable on the court and I feel like I helped the team," Rubio said. "We didn't get it in the end, but we have a chance. If we go this way, we can do a lot of good things."

Oklahoma City knows all about expectations.

After beating Orlando to open the season on Sunday night, the Thunder had a little trouble finding their shooting legs early. They missed 20 of their first 28 shots, and Durant started the game 2 for 8.

Westbrook was equally quiet early, but he finished the first half with a jaw-dropping flourish to help the Thunder take the lead. He scored on a layup, knocked down a jumper and then crossed Luke Ridnour over so severely at the end of the half that the veteran point guard fell to the ground on a drive that gave Oklahoma City a 52-46 lead at the break.

"We're letting the game come to us," Durant said. "If we continue to do that we'll be fine."

As discouraged as the Wolves were about the loss, they also took some solace in going toe-to-toe with one of the league's best.

"We played the best team in the West and lost by four points," Williams said. "We've got a lot to look forward to."

NOTES: The Thunder have beaten the Timberwolves 10 straight times. ... Durant, Westbrook and Harden combined for 63 of 97 points in the win over the Magic on Sunday. ... Thunder SG Daequan Cook hit two huge 3s early in the fourth. ... Barea scored 14 points.

Thunder-Wolves notebook

By Jim Beilby, for NBA.com
Posted Tuesday December 27, 2011 12:11AM

THE FACTS: The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves for the tenth straight time on Monday, 104-100. But the young and surprisingly aggressive Timberwolves made the Thunder work.

It took stellar performances from Kevin Durant (33 points) and Russell Westbrook (28 points) and some last minute free throws by Kendrick Perkins for the Thunder to seal the victory over Minnesota. Michael Beasley scored 24 points and Kevin Love scored 22 and grabbed 12 rebounds in the losing effort.

QUOTABLE: "I thought we did a good job, I really loved the play, we can talk about Russell, James and Kevin, but I thought our bigs did a really good job. Their stats probably won't show it much but they won the game for us and their effort over 48 minutes. This is a great offensive rebounding team and we kept them to 10."
-- Thunder head coach Scott Brooks.

THE STAT: Despite having more points in the paint (60-36), more rebounds (53-47), more second chance points (13-8) and fewer turnovers (12-19), Minnesota repeatedly shot themselves in the foot by taking ill-advised 3-point shots. They finished the game 3-for-22 from beyond the arc (13.6 percent).

TURNING POINT: After trailing early by as many as nine, Oklahoma City went on a 16-3 run just before half and led by six at half. But Minnesota stayed in the game and took the lead early in the fourth quarter on a stunning fast break connection between Minnesota's rookies, Ricky Rubio to Derrick Williams. But for every Minnesota punch, Oklahoma city had a counter-punch. And a three point play by Westbrook (followed by a stare down aimed at Rubio) with 2:25 to play took the lead away from Minnesota for good.

QUOTABLE II: "It was fun. Obviously we enjoy winning a lot more, but at the same time that's a team (Oklahoma City) that's a contender and we took them down to the last minute... the best thing is we gave ourselves a chance and if we play like that the rest of the season and continue to get better we're gonna win a lot of games."
-- Minnesota forward Kevin Love

NOTABLE: In their opening night game against Orlando, the Thunder trio of Durant, Westbrook, and James Harden scored 64 of Oklahoma City's 97 points. Tonight they scored 77 of their 104 points. Minnesota played their much heralded rookies a fair amount. Rubio had six points, six assists, and five rebounds in 26 minutes and Williams had 13 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes.

UP NEXT: For the Wolves, Tuesday @ Milwaukee, Friday vs. Miami, Sunday vs. Dallas. For the Thunder, Wednesday @ Memphis, Thursday vs.Dallas, Saturday vs. Phoenix.

• Thunder: Hayward, Reid
• Timberwolves: Miller, Webster

• Thunder: --
• Timberwolves: --

• Lead Changes: 13
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #9 Derrick Stafford, #60 James Williams, #65 Sean Wright
• Attendance: 19406
• Duration: 2:19