Timberwolves-Suns Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Mar 11 2012 5:33PM

The Minnesota Timberwolves' first game without Ricky Rubio didn't evoke much optimism.

It's not going to get any easier as the Timberwolves embark on a season-high seven-game road trip Monday night against a surging Phoenix Suns team that has won nine straight in the series.

With Rubio and All-Star Kevin Love leading the way, it appeared Minnesota (21-21) could earn its first playoff berth since 2004. It entered Friday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers tied with Houston for eighth place in the Western Conference, but its playoff hopes now appear grim.

Rubio's left knee buckled with 16 seconds remaining in the 105-102 loss to the Lakers, and a day later an MRI confirmed that the point guard tore his ACL and is done for the season. The 21-year-old was averaging 10.6 points, 8.2 assists and was third in the league with 2.2 steals per game.

With its floor leader sidelined, Minnesota's playoff push didn't get off to an encouraging start.

Hosting New Orleans on Saturday, the Timberwolves committed 17 turnovers - their most in eight games - and shot 21.7 percent from 3-point range (5 of 23) in suffering a 95-89 loss to the West's worst team.

"It's like we reverted back to a long time ago," coach Rick Adelman said. "We're not going to get it done that way."

Kevin Love returned after missing the Laker game because of back spasms and finished with 31 points and 16 rebounds, while Nikola Pekovic had 21 points and 11 boards, but Minnesota's new backcourt starter struggled.

Martell Webster started at shooting guard while Luke Ridnour moved from off the ball to start at the point. Ridnour finished with 14 points and 10 assists but Webster had two points on 1-of-5 shooting.

"We can't feel sorry for ourselves," said Love, who is averaging 35.3 points and 14.8 rebounds in his last four games. "We got to accept it and move on."

That could be tough with the Timberwolves on the road until returning to host Denver on March 25.

"I hate to put more pressure on us," Love said, "but this is make or break time."

Minnesota begins its trek against the Suns (19-21), whose current five-game home winning streak began with a 104-95 victory over the Timberwolves on March 1. Minnesota has been outscored by an average of 13.7 points in losing nine straight to the Suns since a 105-103 win Jan. 16, 2009, their lone victory in the last 11 meetings in Phoenix.

Last week's meeting featured the anticipated matchup between Rubio and two-time MVP Steve Nash.

The 38-year-old Nash outplayed the flashy rookie, finishing with 13 points, matching a season high with 17 assists and leading his team with eight rebounds. Another veteran paced the Suns, as 39-year-old Grant Hill scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half.

Rubio finished with 13 points and two assists, while Love had 23 points but missed 17 of 25 shots

The Suns are coming off Saturday's 98-91 win over Memphis, their fifth victory in six games. Jared Dudley scored 19 points to lead six scorers in double figures as the Suns came back from 11 down. They've faced double-digit deficits in each of their last five wins.

"I think we're adjusting as the game goes along and finding ways to get ourselves going and usually someone gives us a lift," said Nash, who had 11 points and 15 assists.

Love helps Timberwolves outlast Suns, 127-124

Posted Mar 13 2012 1:42AM

PHOENIX (AP) Kevin Love got comfortable Monday night and then he got in a groove at the right time.

Love scored 13 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the Phoenix Suns 127-124.

"The biggest thing for me is I didn't get a good warm up," said Love, who set a franchise mark with his 15th 30-point game of the season. "I had good looks in the first half but the ball never really felt right in my hand. I decided to get my legs under me in the second half and that was the biggest difference."

Love had been relatively quiet over the first three quarters, hitting only one 3-pointer and scoring 14 points through the game's first 34 minutes.

But he hit a 3 to key a 7-0 Minnesota run late in the third then hit consecutive 3s in the first minute of the fourth as the Timberwolves took a 98-92 lead.

Love finished 11 of 23 from the floor, including 5-of-9 shooting from behind the arc.

"We just have to do a better job of understanding what happens in (defensive) rotations," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. "We can't let Kevin Love catch the ball and shoot nine threes without ever putting it down."

Nikola Pekovic scored 24 points and Derrick Williams added 19 to help the Timberwolves snap a nine-game losing streak in Phoenix.

The Timberwolves got 52 points from their reserves, with Michael Beasley and Wayne Ellington scoring 15 apiece.

"There are people on this bench who can start for other teams," Williams said. "We don't have a weak point."

Jared Dudley scored a season-high 28 points, Steve Nash had 25 and Channing Frye added 18 for the Suns, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

"We just did a poor job defensively, obviously," Dudley said. "But even with that our offense kept us in the game and still gave us a chance to win the game."

Sebastian Telfair scored six points in seven seconds - converting a four-point play and stealing the ensuing inbounds pass and scoring a layup - to give the Suns a 111-107 lead with 6:38 left.

Luke Ridnour put Minnesota ahead for good, 121-120, with 1:50 to go and the Timberwolves made six straight free throws in the final 37.8 seconds to close out the game.

Phoenix had an opportunity to tie the score in the final seconds but Dudley missed a 3-pointer and Marcin Gortat, who was fouled going for the rebound, missed both free-throw attempts.

Minnesota set season highs for points scored and second-quarter points with 35 while also allowing a season-worst point total. The Suns also set season marks for points scored and allowed and second-half points scored.

Pekovic scored most of his points in the game's opening quarter, totaling 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go with four rebounds and a block shot in the first 12 minutes.

"Pekovic really took control of the game early and from there we were chasing guys off threes and chasing off screens," Gentry said. "If you score 125 points you expect to win."

NOTES: Even without Ricky Rubio, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury Friday night, Minnesota finished with a season-best 30 assists. . Love also moved into second place on Minnesota's career rebounding list, passing Sam Campbell with 3,029. He remains in a distant second to Kevin Garnett. . Gortat was in foul trouble from the get-go while defending Pekovic, picking up two-first quarter fouls and his third just over two minutes after he checked into the game in the second. Gortat finished with eight points and four rebounds in just more than 19 minutes. ... Nash and Dudley combined to outscore Minnesota's starting backcourt of Ridnour and Martell Webster 53-12. ... Minnesota shot 56 percent from the floor, Phoenix 52 percent. . Telfair finished with 10 points in just under 16 minutes.

Notebook: Wolves 127, Suns 124

Posted Tuesday March 13, 2012 2:45AM

By Mike Tulumello, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: For 48 thrilling minutes, the Minnesota Timberwolves played at the Phoenix Suns' old-time, break-neck pace Monday night in Phoenix.

Somehow, the slower moving Timberwolves matched the Suns, shot for shot, plus one.

The T-wolves pulled out a heart-stopping 127-124 win in a game that was big for both teams.

Minnesota (22-21) was coming off the devastating loss of point guard Ricky Rubio and two home losses, to the Los Angeles Lakers and the bottom-dwelling New Orleans Hornets.

"It's huge," Wolves coach Rick Adelman said, pointing out his team is starting a marathon seven-game road trip.

Kevin Love led the Wolves with 30 points, including 5-for-9 on 3-pointers. Nikola Pekovic added 24 points and eight rebounds.

For the Suns, Jared Dudley had 28 points and nine boards, while Steve Nash had a great game with 25 points, 10 assists and zero turnovers.

The Suns, who had won seven of their past nine to pull into playoff contention, dropped to 19-22.

The teams matched shot for shot down the stretch, with Love hitting a 3-pointer to give the Wolves a 119-118 lead with 2:30 left. The Suns gained the lead moments later on a 14-footer by Grant Hill.

But in the closing 1:40, Nash missed a 15-foot runner and an 18-foot jumper, Hill missed a short jumper and Dudley had a 3-pointer rim out. The Wolves made their free throws to ensure the win.

In winning, Minnesota broke a nine-game losing streak to the Suns.

QUOTABLE: "The biggest thing was energy."
-- Pekovic, pointing out the Wolves lacked this quality in their home loss to the Hornets on Saturday.

THE STAT: Marcin Gortat, a double-double machine for the Suns this season, didn't have it in this one. He had just eight points and four rebounds and missed two free throws with 12 seconds left and the Suns trailing 125-122, a mistake that sealed the win for the Wolves. He also had trouble staying with Pekovic.

TURNING POINT: When Love began heating up from 3-point range late in the game. The Wolves led 92-90 to start the final quarter when Love hit a pair of 3-pointers. Then with the game hanging in the balance, Love hit another 3-pointer with 2:38 left to give the Timberwolves a 119-118 lead. "We've got to get a hand in his face," lamented Suns coach Alvin Gentry. "More important, we've got to make him a dribbler, not a catch-and-shoot guy."

QUOTABLE II: "A terrific win for our team. Both teams were shooting the heck out of the ball. We finally got them to miss a couple at the end."
-- Adelman

HOT: The Wolves were 14-for-22 on 3-pointers.

NOT: The Suns' Markieff Morris shot 2-for-8.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Robin Lopez has been giving the Suns effective defense off the bench for weeks. Now, he's starting to score, averaging 10.5 points his last two games.

ROOKIE WATCH: Minnesota's Derrick Williams, the quickly developing first-year forward, scored 19 off the bench, part of the Wolves' 52-35 scoring margin off the bench.

NOTABLE: The Suns' Sebastian Telfair scored six points in five seconds. With the T-Wolves leading 107-105, Telfair bombed home a 25-footer and was fouled by Williams. Telfair hit the free throw, so the 4-point play made it 109-107 Suns with 6:45 left. Telfair then stole the ball from Luke Ridnour and hit a layup with 6:40 left to make it 111-107. Telfair ended up 4-for-4 for 10 points in just eight minutes.

UP NEXT: For the Timberwolves, Thursday @ Utah, Friday @ L.A. Lakers, Sunday @ Sacramento. For the Suns, Wednesday vs. Jazz. Thursday @ L.A. Clippers, Friday vs. Pistons.

• Timberwolves: Milicic, Rubio
• Suns: --

• Timberwolves: --
• Suns: --

• Lead Changes: 15
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Officials: #9 Derrick Stafford, #74 Curtis Blair, #61 Courtney Kirkland
• Attendance: 14568
• Duration: 2:13