Scouting Report: Wolves vs. Lakers

The inner bowl of seats surrounding the Target Center court does not have its same blue, green and black look today. Each seat has its own white t-shirt draped across it, giving the arena a surreal feeling of a freshly fallen snow.
But tonight against the Lakers, the Timberwolves hope fans make it feel more like a blizzard. Tonight at 7 p.m. Minnesota hosts Los Angeles in a White Out, a game in which the Wolves will not only wear their Muskies gear but the fans will each receive a white shirt to help give the Timberwolves an extra push against a Lakers squad that has beaten them twice this season. Friday is also fans’ first chance to purchase season tickets for the 2012-13 campaign.
The Lakers defeated Minnesota 106-101 at Target Center on Jan. 29 and 104-85 on Feb. 29 at Staples Center. This is the third of four meetings against L.A. this season, and it comes at a point in the year when Minnesota is playing some of its most consistent basketball. The Wolves have won eight of their past 11 games and have won five straight at home for the first time since the 2006-07 season.
Meanwhile, L.A. has lost two straight road games to Detroit and Washington, two sub-.500 teams in the Eastern Conference. The two defeats came after the Lakers put together a dominant 93-83 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday. Coach Rick Adelman said the Wolves know that the Lakers—particularly Kobe Bryant—will respond like they always do after losses, but he said Minnesota is more worried about its own execution after suffering a one-sided loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles last week. Love’s presence
The last time the Lakers and Wolves met, forward Kevin Love missed the game due to flu-like symptoms. With his presence missing on the court, Minnesota never put together any type of offensive rhythm and it led to a 19-point loss. The beauty of Love’s game is just how consistent he’s been throughout the season, and so far in March his presence has been even more intense. He’s averaging 33.3 points and 13.3 boards in four games this month, including 42 points against the Blazers in Portland and 39 against Clippers at Target Center. He was two points shy of tying Kevin Garnett’s record for most points in a three-game stretch in team history over the past three contests—Love finished with 110 points in that span. Love is second in the NBA in rebounding with 13.8 boards per night, and he will be tasked with battling the Lakers' tandem of Andrew Bynum (7-foot-0) and Pau Gasol (7-foot-0) for rebounds tonight. Key matchup: Pekovic vs. Bynum