Bucks-Timberwolves Preview

By JORDAN GARRETSON
Posted Nov 29 2012 2:13PM

Their centerpiece's return has not solved the Minnesota Timberwolves' problems, but another key player is closer to coming back. The Milwaukee Bucks will largely have to solve their issues using the pieces already in place.

Both Minnesota and Milwaukee started the season surprisingly well but have since struggled heading into their matchup at the Target Center on Friday night.

The Timberwolves (6-8) have lost six of seven after opening 5-2 without Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio. They're 1-4 since Love returned Nov. 21 after breaking his right hand in the preseason.

Love has double-doubles in all five games - he led the league with 48 last season - but is coming off his worst shooting effort. The All-Star forward went 3 of 12 from the field Wednesday, finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds in a 101-95 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

He's averaging 23.0 points and 15.6 boards but hasn't been able to solve Minnesota's late-game woes. The Timberwolves have been outscored in the fourth quarter of the last five games by an average of 25.4-17.8, including 25-18 on Wednesday.

"I'm happy with how the team's been fighting," Love said. "We've just been losing some tough ones in the second half, and tonight was no different."

Minnesota learned before the game that Rubio was cleared to participate in full-contact practices. The dynamic point guard hasn't played since March 9 when he tore his ACL.

The Timberwolves have not designated a timetable for his return, but Rubio will likely see his first contact work in practice this weekend.

"We've missed him a lot," Adelman said of the former lottery pick. "Once we lost him we saw the impact he had on our group because of his leadership - and not just at the offensive end. He defended people better than most point guards."

Milwaukee (7-6) started 6-2 and still leads the Central Division but seems to be fading, having lost four of five.

The Bucks are coming off their second double-digit loss of the season, 102-88 to New York on Wednesday in Milwaukee. They're averaging 89.0 points over the last three games, compared to 101.2 through their first 10.

Milwaukee isn't being helped by 3-point shooting on either side of the floor, hitting 20.0 percent during the 1-4 slump while allowing opponents to make 40.3 percent. Mike Dunleavy is 5 for 19 from beyond the arc in that span after starting the season 18 for 33 (54.5 percent).

"We just have to play a lot better," said Dunleavy, who has failed to score in double figures in three straight games for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

"Last four or five games ... we just haven't played good basketball. We just have to be more consistent in our effort and doing what it takes to win."

Coach Scott Skiles continues to experiment with his lineup, starting a different group for the third time in three games Wednesday.

Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman has been forced to regularly juggle his lineup. He's still missing Brandon Roy and Chase Budinger due to injuries, and Andrei Kirilenko sat out Wednesday because of back spasms. Josh Howard, signed as a free agent Nov. 16, made his first start in place of Kirilenko and scored seven points.

In these teams' only meeting last season, Love had 31 points and 20 rebounds but missed a last-second 3-pointer as Minnesota lost 98-95 at Milwaukee on Dec. 27.

The Bucks have won four of five overall in this series but have dropped 10 of 12 in Minnesota.

Shved, Love lead Timberwolves over Bucks 95-85

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Posted Dec 01 2012 12:28AM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Kevin Love was sick. Ricky Rubio, Chase Budinger and Brandon Roy were all out with injuries and the rest of the Minnesota Timberwolves couldn't buy a bucket for most of the game.

So coach Rick Adelman turned to Alexey Shved, the unflappable Russian rookie who is quickly emerging as the team's closer. Just as he did for Russia in the Olympics, the versatile guard came through to save the Timberwolves.

Shved scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and Love overcame a nasty stomach bug to collect 15 points and 14 rebounds in Minnesota's 95-85 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.

"That guy has no filter out there, he just plays," Love said of Shved. "He seems like such a shy guy, but when he gets out there, it's a whole different person."

Shved hit three of his four shots in the final quarter, grabbed two steals and had two key assists to help the Timberwolves to a much-needed victory heading into a three-day break.

Nikola Pekovic had 14 points and tied a career high with 16 rebounds, and J.J. Barea added 15 points and five assists for the Wolves, who are getting star guard Ricky Rubio back at practice this weekend for the first time since he tore an ACL last March.

Larry Sanders had a career-high 10 blocks for the Bucks - tying a franchise record set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1973 - to go with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

"I only had two fouls tonight. I think that's what I'm most impressed with," Sanders quipped. "I was able to stay in the game and help my team."

Brandon Jennings had 18 points and six boards for the Bucks, who lost backup point guard Beno Udrih to an injured right ankle in the fourth quarter. X-rays were negative and the team said he will be re-evaluated on Saturday.

"We had some issues on the defensive end," coach Scott Skiles said. "But overall we had a bunch of good looks. Had some layups, some shots in the paint and they just didn't go down for us. Then we just slowly fell behind."

The Bucks shot 36.6 percent, including 5 for 18 on 3-pointers, in losing for the fifth time in six games.

Love was a game-time decision, but was almost forced to gut it out given the Wolves' long list of injuries. He missed 13 of his first 17 shots and was clearly laboring throughout the game. He was able to dig deep enough for a key putback during an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter that put Minnesota in control for good, and Shved really did the rest.

After the Wolves managed just 11 points in a dreadful third quarter, Shved scored the team's first seven points of the fourth. He also hit Luke Ridnour with a beautiful cross-court feed for a jumper and drilled a deep 3 with the shot clock winding down that put the game out of reach with 1:15 to play.

"He was really terrific," Adelman said.

That's high praise from a coach who has a reputation for being tough on young players, but Shved has earned Adelman's trust. He has been every bit the playmaker he was in leading the Russians to the bronze medal in London, and Adelman is leaning on him more and more to get the Wolves through this onslaught of injuries, a string that continued on Friday night.

"I'm a rookie, but my partners help me," Shved said. "Coach believes in me and that's very important to me."

Andrei Kirilenko missed his second straight game with back spasms while guard Malcolm Lee was out with a sore left groin. Lee was thrust into the starting rotation the past eight games due to injuries to Roy and Budinger.

J.J. Barea started in Lee's place, but the Wolves were able to stack up a little better against the smaller Bucks backcourt of Monta Ellis and Jennings. The super-quick duo has struggled in the efficiency department for much of the season, and that again was the case in Minnesota. Ellis was 8 for 22 while Jennings went 6 for 19.

Ellis had 18 points and John Henson had 10 points and seven boards.

"I think as a unit it doesn't matter who takes the shots, we just have to keep playing through whatever," Jennings said. "You see a lot of heads go down when guys are missing shots, but it's still 48 minutes so you still have to play through the whole game no matter what's going on."

NOTES: Udrih had to be helped off the court after getting tangled with Love on a drive to the basket with 8 minutes left. Joel Przybilla had to shoot the free throws for him and went 0 for 2, much to the delight of a home crowd that has booed him ever since he left the University of Minnesota early 13 years ago. ... Ridnour scored 16 points for Minnesota. ... The Timberwolves held a moment of silence for Sasha McHale, the 23-year-old daughter of former Wolves coach and executive and current Rockets coach Kevin McHale. A funeral for Sasha was held this week after she died of complications from Lupus.

Notebook: Timberwolves 95, Bucks 85

Jim Beilby, for NBA.com
Posted Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:13 PM - Updated Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:13 PM

THE FACTS: On a night where made shots were not common, the Minnesota Timberwolves did enough to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 95-85. Alevey Shved scored 16 for Minnesota and the tandem of Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic accounted for 30 rebounds. Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings led the way for Milwaukee, scoring 18 points each.

QUOTABLE: "I thought it was a really solid win for us. After coming off that road trip and everything, we really defended well all night long. Even when they made their run in the third quarter, we defended well enough to keep the lead and then made some plays in the fourth quarter."

-- Minnesota coach Rick Adelman

THE STAT: Minnesota shot 39 percent from the floor and Milwaukee shot 36 percent, but Minnesota won the battle of the boards, outrebounding Milwaukee 67-57. And Milwaukee's defense was sloppy, commiting 24 personal fouls, 11 more than Minnesota.

TURNING POINT: After leading by 13 in the third quarter, Minnesota saw its lead evaporate as it only made three field goals in the remainder of the quarter. Milwaukee got within one point, trailing 70-69 with 9:51 to play in the game. Minnesota responded with a 17-5 run, including some big shots by Shved, effectively sealing their victory.

QUOTABLE II: "We had our issues and some issues on the defensive end but overall we came out in the third quarter and we had a bunch of looks. We hit the rim had some layups and some shots in the paint and they just didn't go down for us and then we just slowly fell behind and had to battle back again. We just didn't have enough."

-- Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles

HOT: Minnesota's front court of Love and Pekovic shot a combined 9-for-14 in the first half, tallying 12 points each.

NOT: Love and Pekovic went cold in the second half, shooting a combined 1-for-17 and missing their first 13 shots of the second half.

NOTABLE: Larry Sanders tallied five blocks in the first quarter alone and finished with a personal-best 10 blocks, tying a team record set by Kareen Abdul-Jabbar on Nov. 3, 1973 against Detriot. Milwaukee guard Beno Udrih sustained an injury to his right leg with 7:54 to play in the game following a foul by Kevin Love.

UP NEXT: For the Wolves, Tuesday @ Philadelphia, Wednesday @ Boston, Friday vs. Cleveland. For the Bucks, Saturday vs. Boston, Monday @ New Orleans, Wednesday @ San Antonio.

• Bucks: Gooden, Mbah a Moute
• Timberwolves: Budinger, Roy, Rubio

• Bucks: --
• Timberwolves: --

• Lead Changes: 15
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #36 David Jones, #11 Derrick Collins, #79 Kevin Scott
• Attendance: 16418
• Duration: 2:10