Timberwolves-Hornets Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Jan 10 2013 12:24PM

Facing a Minnesota Timberwolves' team minus injured star Kevin Love might provide the New Orleans Hornets a good opportunity to extend their season-high winning stretch.

The Hornets look to avenge last month's home loss to the visiting Timberwolves with a fourth consecutive victory Friday night.

Paced by the return of guard Eric Gordon and some solid defensive play, New Orleans (10-25) has a chance to match its longest winning streak of last season on Friday.

After winning at Dallas in overtime and beating Southwest Division-leading San Antonio, the Hornets won 88-79 over Houston on Wednesday. Greivis Vasquez, Jason Smith and Roger Mason each scored 17 as New Orleans used a 22-2 run to overcome a 10-point second-half deficit and improve to 2-19 when trailing after three quarters.

"I'm glad we got one of those under our belt," center Robin Lopez said. "We just have to continue to build from there."

While New Orleans has held opponents to 87.7 points per game during its win streak, it showed Wednesday it can prevail when Gordon struggles.

The seventh overall pick in 2008, Gordon's career has been plagued by injuries, but the Hornets are 4-2 while he's averaged 15.6 points since making his season debut Dec. 29 after missing the first 29 games with a knee injury. He was held to five points on 2-of-12 shooting versus Houston. However, Mason and Smith helped the Hornets to a 42-22 advantage in bench scoring even though leading scorer Ryan Anderson (17.2 points per game) was held without a point on 0-of-7 shooting.

"I think everybody else is waiting to see if Eric's going to carry us, and we're just not that kind of a team," coach Monty Williams said. "Everybody needs to bring their game."

Vasquez has averaged 18.9 points on 52.5 percent shooting and 10.6 assists while the Hornets have won five of eight. He had 15 with a career-high 17 assists in a 113-102 loss to Minnesota on Dec. 14.

Though Love had a modest 14 points and nine boards in that contest, not having to face the All-Star this time could benefit New Orleans.

The Timberwolves (16-16) have dropped two of three since Love was lost for eight to 10 weeks after breaking his right hand for the second time. Minnesota had already been dealing with knee injuries to Chase Budinger, Brandon Roy and Malcolm Lee.

"Obviously, we hope (Love is) back soon but we've got to keep pressing forward," guard Luke Ridnour said. "The games, nobody takes it easy on you because you've got guys out. You've got to get ready to go anyway.

"Guys have been in and out all year, so we can't use that as an excuse."

Minnesota hopes guard J.J. Barea will return after back spasms kept him out of Wednesday's 106-84 loss at Oklahoma City. Rookie Alexey Shved scored 18 while Nikola Pekovic added 17 with 10 rebounds as the Timberwolves matched their second-lowest point total of the season.

The 6-foot-11 Pekovic has produced in Love's absence, averaging 21.0 points and 14.3 boards in the last three games. He scored a career-high 31 at New Orleans last month and has averaged 21.0 points on 67.5 percent (27 for 40) shooting his last three games versus the Hornets.

It's uncertain if Minnesota assistant Terry Porter will be in charge for a third straight game while coach Rick Adelman deals with a personal matter.

Vasquez's double-double leads Hornets past Wolves

Posted Jan 11 2013 11:58PM

NEW ORLEANS (AP) A slow start left New Orleans Hornets coach Monty Williams searching for answers by juggling his lineup.

Midway through the second quarter, with mostly reserves on the floor, the right combination clicked. After falling behind by 18 points early, the Hornets outscored Minnesota 48-32 from the 6:38 mark of the second period through the end of the third quarter in a 104-92 victory over the Timberwolves on Friday night.

"I threw a few lineups out in the first half just to try to get some energy," Williams said. "This is what young teams go through, the day in and day out grind of the NBA. It's hard to get your mental focus up and a lot of times young guys just can't do it."

Greivis Vasquez had 18 points and 13 assists for the Hornets, who have now won four consecutive games for the first time since last April.

Eric Gordon added 16 points, Ryan Anderson had 15, Jason Smith 14, Al-Farouz Aminu 12 and Roger Mason 10 for the Hornets, who have won five of six games with Gordon in the starting lineup. Aminu also had 13 rebounds.

"We definitely are really stringing it together," Anderson said. "Obviously, that first quarter, we want to play better than that. We really gave a great effort to come back in that game."

Luke Ridnour led the Timberwolves with 20 points. Nikola Pekovic added 18 points, Andrei Kirilenko 17, Dante Cunningham 12 and Alexey Shved 11 as Minnesota dressed out only nine players because of injuries.

Ricky Rubio was held to 3 points on 1-for-3 shooting.

"I think (fatigue) is some of it," acting Timberwolves coach Terry Porter said. "I'm not trying to take away anything that New Orleans did. It seemed like at times some guys had some heavy legs."

The Timberwolves dominated the lane early, scoring 30 points in the paint to take a 46-40 halftime lead. But the Hornets' collapsing defense held the Timberwolves to 4-of-16 shooting in the third quarter and New Orleans outscored Minnesota 30-15 to take a 70-61 lead.

After being on the short end of a 30-20 margin in points in the lane in the first half, New Orleans took control underneath and had a 40-34 advantage at the end of the third period. The Hornets, who gave up 70 points underneath in an earlier loss to the Timberwolves, outscored Minnesota 48-40 in the paint.

"Their defense did a good job in the second half," Kirilenko said. "They were physical and banged us around. We did not respond well."

Hornets forward Anthony Davis, who scored 1 point in the first half, scored eight in the third period and finished with nine overall.

Davis' jumper tied the score at 50 with 6:36 left in the third quarter and Vasquez's 3-pointer gave the Hornets their first lead at 55-54 with 5:11 remaining.

Davis' layup with 4:13 remaining put the Hornets ahead for good.

"I thought (Davis) was a little too relaxed to start and then the second time he went back in he was running the floor, getting layups and dunks," Williams said.

The Hornets trailed 29-14 at the end of the first quarter and by 17 points midway through the second but Gordon scored seven points on a closing 18-6 run. New Orleans made seven of its last nine shots of the half.

NOTES: Minnesota coach Rick Adelman missed his third consecutive game. Adelman has been home with his wife, who was recently hospitalized. ... Vasquez has double-doubles in five of the past six games, including the past three. ... The Hornets won for the first time in franchise history when an opponent made at least 18 free throws. Minnesota was 26 of 33 from the line. ... The Hornets hit the century mark for the first time since a 113-102 loss to Minnesota on Dec. 14, and just the eighth time this season.

Notebook: Hornets 104, Timberwolves 92

Bradley Handwerger, For NBA.com
Posted Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:28 PM - Updated Fri Jan 11, 2013 11:28 PM

THE FACTS: Don't look now, but the New Orleans Hornets are on a roll. The Hornets came back from an 18-point second quarter deficit Friday night to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-92 en route to their season-best fourth straight win.

Besides Greivis Vasquez with a team-leading 18 points, it was the play of the bench for New Orleans (11-25) that put it over the top. Ryan Anderson pitched in 15 points, Jason Smith had 14 points on 7-for-8 shooting and Roger Mason Jr. contributed 10 as the Hornets outscored a thin Minnesota bench 45-14.

The Timberwolves (16-17) were down to only four substitutes as six players missed with various injuries. Additionally, coach Rick Adelman stayed in Minnesota to be with his wife, who was reportedly hospitalized Thursday. Standout point guard Ricky Rubio had only three points and three assists off the bench. Luke Ridnour's 20 points led Minnesota, which also got 18 from Nikola Pekovic and 17 from Andrei Kirilenko.

But while bench play was critical, so was New Orleans' ability to slow down Minnesota down low. The last time these two teams played, New Orleans gave up 70 points in the paint, helping lead to another loss during an 11-game losing streak. Friday night, the Hornets allowed only 40 points down low, a 35-point swing that played a role in their 12-point win. The Hornets, using alley-oops and putbacks, outscored the Timberwolves in the paint by eight points and had a 44-31 advantage in rebounds.

QUOTABLE: "They got 70 points in the paint the last game. Pekovic killed us. We really just tried to keep him out of our paint as best as we could."

--Hornets' Jason Smith on outscoring the Timberwolves in the paint

THE STAT: 24 -- Minnesota took 24 more free throws than New Orleans, a stat that usually portends a win. But while the Timberwolves were good at the line, they cooled off from the floor. After shooting 55 percent in the opening 12 minutes, Minnesota shot just 40.8 percent in the final three quarters, allowing New Orleans to climb back into the game.

TURNING POINT: It was a simple hook shot by New Orleans' Robin Lopez in the second quarter. But the game turned on it. After an Anthony Davis free throw cut the Hornets' deficit to 17 midway through the second quarter, Lopez's hook started the comeback fully. By halftime the Hornets' had pulled within six points and eventually took the lead on a Vasquez 3-pointer with 5:11 to go in the third. But it was the stretch started by Lopez that turned things around.

QUOTABLE II: "It seemed, at times, some guys had some heavy legs and it is what it is. You just have to get guys to step up and make some shots and make plays. Until we start getting some guys back, this is what we have and everybody has to do a little bit more."

-- Minnesota assistant coach Terry Porter on whether fatigue played a factor for the Timberwolves

HOT: The Hornets' Al-Farouq Aminu hasn't given New Orleans much in the way of points lately, but he's making up for it by being active on the glass. Friday night, he had 13 rebounds and in the past four games, all New Orleans wins, he has brought down 46 boards.

NOT: Though Minnesota's bench was just four deep, those players didn't help much, going just 5-for-12 on the night in 60 combined minutes. The foursome combined for as many turnovers as they did made baskets.

NOTABLE: The Hornets won their first game ever when an opponent made 18 or more free throws. Meanwhile, the nine attempts New Orleans took from the free-throw line are the fourth-fewest in club history. ... Vasquez had his third straight double-double with 18 points and 13 assists. It marked his 12th such feat of the season and the 15th time he has had at least 10 assists. ... All five Timberwolves scored in double figures. ... Minnesota's Dante Cunningham finished just one rebound shy of a double-double as he had 12 points and nine boards.

UP NEXT: For the Hornets, Sunday @ New York, Tuesday @ Philadelphia, Wednesday @ Boston. For the Timberwolves, Sunday @ San Antonio, Monday @ Dallas, Thursday vs. Clippers.

• Timberwolves: Budinger, Roy
• Hornets: Miller

• Timberwolves: --
• Hornets: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #42 Eric Lewis, #29 Mark Lindsay
• Attendance: 13538
• Duration: 2:03