Jonah BallowWolves Editor/Writer
Email / Twitter
Ryan Gomes Injury Update:
"I think I just lost my footing a little bit and my knee kind of went inward. I thought it was my ankle at first but half an hour after that, my knee just started being painful and that's when we took it to the next step and concentrated on getting me treatment on that."
"I don't think it's that serious. I have a little pain but if it was really bad, I probably wouldn't be able to walk on it right now. So, I have been walking around fine, getting a lot of treatment the last two days, so I will get back to Minnesota and see what the doctor has to say about it."
"Ironman streak is over with I guess but injuries are just part of this game and that was one of those freak injuries. That's what happens, usually when you're alone that's when those freak accidents happen."
Wolves @ Jazz 8 PM - Energy Solutions Arena
WHERE TO WATCH: FSNORTH
WHERE TO LISTEN: KFAN 1130
Scouting Report:
Big Picture:
  DOWNLOAD MP3 Ryan Gomes DOWNLOAD MP3 |
Last Meeting:
One of the banner victories for the Wolves this season occurred on December 5 in Minneapolis. The fantastic offensive performance from Minnesota included 21 fast break points and 57 percent shooting from the field in the 108-101 win.
Backcourt:
In the previous three games, Deron Williams supplanted Carlos Boozer as the Jazz top scorer, including 32 points against the Magic. Remarkably, Williams posted double-digit assists in five of his last six games to help Utah reach the top of the league in that category. He is the unquestioned leader for the Jazz, showing the necessary skills to stabilize the squad during a rough patch to start the season. The Minnesota backcourt limited Williams to just 18 points and 0-for-4 from the 3-point line in the first matchup. For the Wolves, Jonny Flynn went toe-to-toe with the perennial All-Star, utilizing his quickness in recording 16 points and four assists. Wayne Ellington proved to be a nice option for Minnesota off the bench as the rookie hit 4-for-6 on the perimeter in just 24 minutes of court time. In tonight's contest, the Wolves should focus on cutting off driving lanes for Williams and force him to shoot deep jumpers. If Williams becomes a double-digit distributor, Utah's scoring attack will be difficult to defend on its home floor.
Frontcourt:
This summer, Carlos Boozer looked for a new zip code after continuous trade rumors swirled around the power forward. At this point in the season, Boozer has shed all negative feelings with elevated play at his position. One could even say that Boozer is the main reason for the Jazz revival following a 2-4 start this year. Boozer was solid but not game-changing in the loss to Minnesota on December 5; he scored 21 points and grabbed 13 boards. The story of the win was the exceptional performance from Kevin Love, who tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds in just his second game of the season. Love jumped off the bench in the throwback uniforms with an all-around performance while draining 2-of-3 long bombs in the win. Ryan Gomes and Al Jefferson joined the fun in the frontcourt to combine for 38 points as seven Wolves hit double figures.
What To Look For:
The silver lining in the two recent road losses for Minnesota is the efficient play from Jefferson. Alongside Love, Jefferson seems comfortable once again with 24 points and 13 rebounds against Los Angeles and then 26 and 11 in the loss to Sacramento on Saturday. His numbers have increased by four points while the percentage from the floor is up to 51 since Love returned to the team.
The Wolves hope to duplicate the suburb effort over Utah on December 5. Unfortunately, Minnesota's schedule of four games in five days may affect its legs heading into one of most difficult arenas for opposing teams.
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jonah on Twitter.
