Trail Blazers-Timberwolves Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Mar 06 2012 3:30PM

Kevin Love recently helped the Minnesota Timberwolves end their lengthy losing streak against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The All-Star forward and 3-point champion will now try to put an end to another skid in this series.

About five years have passed since the Timberwolves won five consecutive home games or defeated the Trail Blazers in Minneapolis, a pair of droughts they can end Wednesday night as Portland begins a crucial road trip.

Averaging just 12.3 points in four previous games in Portland, Love exploded for a season-best 42 - one off his career high - and grabbed 10 rebounds in Saturday's 122-110 victory over the Blazers.

Minnesota (20-19) had lost 16 in a row to Love's hometown team.

"I've always been a big fan (of the Blazers), so in some ways it means a lot," he said after hitting five 3-pointers. "But more than anything we wanted to stop that 16-game losing streak."

Portland, though, has won eight straight in Minnesota since March 25, 2007, winning by an average of 17.2 points in its last five visits.

The Timberwolves have won their last three games there by a total of four points, and are now eyeing their first 5-0 run at home since Dec. 26, 2006-Jan. 7, 2007.

While coach Rick Adelman called Saturday's game in Portland one of Minnesota's best wins of the season, it might not have been Love's top performance.

His 39 points and 17 boards keyed Monday's 95-94 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers as the Timberwolves opened a four-game homestand.

"The great thing about him is he gets what he wants and he's such a good free-throw shooter that it all adds up," Adelman said after Love made five 3s and finished 8 of 11 from the foul line.

Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge also has very good when shooting free throws, hitting a career-best 80.5 percent this season, but he hasn't attempted one in the last three games.

The Blazers didn't need much from the first-time All-Star as they snapped a three-game skid with Monday's 86-74 win over Western Conference-worst New Orleans, but they want Aldridge more involved in the offense as they open a season-high seven-game trip.

"Teams are taking me out," he said Monday after having 10 points and 11 rebounds in 29 minutes. "I haven't had a clean post-up in three or four games."

Aldridge finished with 14 points with seven boards against Minnesota on Saturday when Portland (19-19) dropped below .500 for the first time this season.

Having dropped outside the West playoff picture, the Trail Blazers can't afford to open this 12-day stretch away from home with a loss. Their trip also includes stops in Boston, Indiana, New York, Chicago and Oklahoma City.

"We know we've got a lot of work to do," said coach Nate McMillan, whose team is 5-12 away from home.

Portland has not reached 100 points in 12 consecutive road games, its longest such stretch since 2006-07. Gerald Wallace is averaging 9.3 points on the road this season compared to 17.1 at home.

Minnesota has won four of six overall despite Ricky Rubio shooting 9 for 45 from the field. Fellow rookie Derrick Williams has stepped up in that span to average 14.3 points while going 11 of 21 from 3-point range.

It's unclear if Timberwolves starting center Nikola Pekovic will return after sitting out Monday with a sore foot.

Johnson's boost early lifts Wolves over Blazers

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Posted Mar 08 2012 12:29AM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) There is a new vibe buzzing through Target Center these days, something wholly unfamiliar to a Minnesota Timberwolves team that lost 132 games the previous two seasons and hasn't made the playoffs since 2004.

"I don't think anybody can really say that we're the laughing stock of the NBA anymore," Wes Johnson said. "If you come in here thinking that, you're going to catch an `L' real quick."

The Portland Trail Blazers were just the latest team to discover that.

Johnson scored 19 points to back Kevin Love's 29 points and 16 rebounds in Minnesota's 106-94 victory over the Blazers on Wednesday night.

Johnson went 3 of 4 on 3-pointers and Luke Ridnour added 22 points for the Timberwolves (21-19), who moved into the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff race. They own the tiebreaker over Houston, which lost earlier Wednesday.

"If you would've said this to me last year, that we were going to be in the eighth spot this year, I would have probably told you you were lying," Johnson said.

While the Timberwolves are surging with five straight home wins and eight victories in their last 11 games, the Blazers look lost out there.

"We're searching. I just don't know what we're searching for," forward Gerald Wallace said. "I don't know what to say."

All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and seven rebounds for the Blazers, who have lost four of their last five games. Wallace had 13 points, nine assists and nine rebounds.

Does it feel like the ship is sinking?

"Yeah. And it can sink real fast on this road trip," said Wallace, whose Blazers head to Boston, Washington, Indiana, New York, Chicago and Oklahoma City over the next 11 days. "This was a must-win game for us. We go and we've got to play some tough teams."

Aldridge went 2 for 3 from the free throw line - his first foul shots in four games - but was badly outplayed by Love for the second straight game. He was held to just five points in the second half and two in the fourth quarter.

Love was 3 of 5 behind the arc and played the entire second half to help the Wolves outlast the Blazers for their fifth win in seven games.

Raymond Felton had 23 points and nine assists for the Blazers, who cut the deficit to six points with 4:15 to play.

But Ridnour hit a 3 and a pair of free throws, and former Blazer Martell Webster knocked down another from behind the arc for a 102-88 lead that put away the game.

Jamal Crawford, who has been linked to Minnesota in trade rumors recently, had just six points on 3-for-13 shooting. The Blazers made just 3 of 23 from 3-point range.

"I think at the end of the day, we're only humans. So, no matter what somebody says, I'm sure it's in the back of their heads a little bit," Crawford said of the trade talk. "But we have to be professional and go out and do the best job we can."

Love scored 15 points in the first quarter, hitting all three of his 3-pointers to get the Wolves going. But it was Johnson's out-of-nowhere complementary play that made all the difference.

The second-year wing has been a disappointment since he was taken with the fourth overall pick before last season. He struggled to find his shooting touch and gave the Wolves almost nothing offensively from a position geared toward big production in Rick Adelman's system.

He scored 10 points in the first quarter, hitting a rare jumper off the dribble, two 3-pointers and showing the first real signs of his standout days at Syracuse. He threw down two put-back dunks and fed Love for a pretty three-point play in the second quarter.

Aldridge went to the bench early in the first quarter after picking up two quick fouls, but got rolling in the second quarter with 13 points.

He did most of his damage while Love rested on the bench, feasting on Darko Milicic, who got his second straight start for the injured Nikola Pekovic.

"You never want to start a road trip like this, with a loss," Crawford said. "You want momentum and start off with a win. Mood's pretty down for sure."

It was the fifth straight home win for the Timberwolves, who need to capitalize on this homestand. They beat the Clippers on Monday night and have games against the Lakers on Friday night and the Hornets on Saturday before embarking on a seven-game road trip that could define their season.

"We're talking about the fact that we're relevant right now," coach Rick Adelman said. "We've made a run here that got us to that position. There's no reason we're different than anybody else that are in those spots. We can win games and we can stay right there."

NOTES: The Blazers were 3 for 4 on free throws. The Wolves went 19 for 26. ... Timberwolves G J.J. Barea limped off the court with a left ankle injury midway through the fourth quarter and did not return. ... Pekovic said he didn't think his sore foot was going to be a long-term injury. "A few days," he said. ... Crawford was averaging 17.4 points on 55 percent shooting in his previous five games.

Notebook: Wolves 106, Blazers 94

Posted Wednesday March 7, 2012 11:34PM

By Jim Beilby, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: After losing 16 straight games to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Minnesota Timberwolves have now defeated them twice in the last four days. Kevin Love had another huge night, with 29 points and 16 rebounds as Minnesota clawed out a 106-94 victory over Portland on Wednesday night. Luke Ridnour and Wes Johnson also made big contributions to the cause, scoring 22 and 19 points respectively.

The victory is Minnesota's fifth straight at home and it is now winners of eight of its last 11 games. As a result of their strong play of late, if the playoffs were to start tomorrow, the surprising Minnesota Timberwolves would get in.

QUOTABLE: "That's great, but it doesn't mean anything right now. We have a couple of big games coming up and we need to focus on them."
-- Kevin Love on the Wolves climbing into the eighth spot in the West

THE STAT: Minnesota made a season-high 13 3-pointers (13-for-23, 56.5 percent). Its previous season high was achieved four days ago, in Portland where the Wolves shot 12-for-23 (52.2). In between those two games, Minnesota played the Clippers and dropped 11 treys on them. That's 36 made 3-pointers in the last three games.

TURNING POINT: After leading by as many as 14 in the third quarter, Minnesota saw Portland cut their lead to six points with 4:14 to play in the game. Ridnour's response was the drain a 3-pointer, make a pair of free throws, and assist a monstrous dunk by rookie Derrick Williams and a 3-pointer by Martell Webster, all part of a 10-2 run that put the Trailblazers away for good.

HOT: The Wolves 3-point shooting (see above).

NOT: Blazers' 3-point shooting. Portland was 3-for-23 from beyond the arc.

NOTABLE: With their win Wednesday, Minnesota improves to 21-19, matching its best record after 40 games since the 2003-04 season .. After scoring a season-high 40 points in the first quarter four days ago in Portland, Minnesota scored 37 in the first quarter Wednesday, including 16 in the opening frame from Love .. Portland has now lost four of its last five games (with its lone victory coming on Monday over New Orleans); they have also lost four of their last five road games, an ominous sign for a team which just played the first game of a seven game road trip .. While he just missed 30 points Wednesday, Kevin Love has more 30-point/10-rebound games this season (13) than Kevin Durant (five), LeBron James (four), and Dwight Howard (three) combined (12).

UP NEXT: For the Wolves, Friday vs. L.A. Lakers, Saturday vs. New Orleans, Monday @ Phoenix. For the Blazers, Friday @ Boston, Saturday @ Washington, Tuesday @ Indiana.

• Trail Blazers: Johnson, Oden
• Timberwolves: Lee, Pekovic

• Trail Blazers: Matthews
• Timberwolves: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #31 Scott Wall, #36 David Jones
• Attendance: 17118
• Duration: 2:07