Scouting Report: Wolves at Warriors

Minnesota coach Rick Adelman stressed the importance of this seven-game road trip before the Timberwolves hit the road last week. Heading into tonight’s matchup against Golden State with a 1-3 record on the trip and dates with San Antonio and Oklahoma City just ahead, the Wolves understand just how important this game is to their season.
When Minnesota and Golden State tip off at 9:30 p.m. at Oracle Arena, the Wolves will be playing not only to end their three-game losing streak. They’ll be looking to find their swagger once again as the playoff push intensifies.
“Every game from now on is a big game for us,” guard JJ Barea said. “If we keep playing the way we are, the season could go down in a hurry.”
The Wolves had won eight of 11 games before their recent skid beginning March 9 against Los Angeles. Since then Minnesota is 1-5 and is coming off perhaps their most difficult defeat of the season, a 115-99 loss to Sacramento on Sunday. But forward Kevin Love said the beauty of the NBA is the fact that there is another game tonight, meaning Minnesota has the chance to move on quickly and get back in the wins column.
Golden State is on a three-game losing streak of its own, most recently falling to the Utah Jazz 99-92 in overtime on Saturday. The Warriors hold a 10-12 record at home this season, while Minnesota is 10-12 on the road. Key matchup: Love vs. Lee
Wolves forward Kevin Love continues to put up monster numbers game after game this season. He picked up his league-leading 38th double-double on Sunday against the Kings with a 21-point, 11-rebound effort, and he is averaging 29.7 points and 13.1 rebounds per game in March. But with the Wolves currently losing five of their past six, Love’s presence on the floor becomes even more important. The Wolves will look to him not only to continue working his magic on the boards, but his ability to draw fouls and get to the free-throw line as well as efficiently step outside the 3-point arc have all been important facets of Minnesota’s success this season.
In the Bay Area, Warriors forward David Lee has been a consistent part of Golden State’s front court all season. He’s started all 41 games he’s played, averaging 19.1 points and 9.6 boards per game while leading the team in offensive rebounding. Lee is shooting 52.8 percent from the field this month and even though he does not bring the same outside threat Love does, he can get to the line and make free throws. He’s shooting 89 percent from the line this month. A new look Warriors team