In the highly anticipated homecoming of Kevin Garnett against the new-look Timberwolves, the Boston Celtics played sensational defense and controlled the tempo against a battered and bruised Timberpups team. Without scorers Nikola Pekovic, Michael Beasley, and JJ Barea, the Pups had a very difficult time getting anything going on the offensive end facing one of the best half court defenses in the NBA. The Timberwolves past and future faced off in a vicious PF battle, and eventually culminated with the 35 year old Garnett having his way with Kevin Love.

The Big Ticket was certainly amped up to march into the Target Center and get a victory, especially after publicly ripping the Timberwolves organization as a whole this week. KG could not have looked more like his former self tonight, producing a stat line of 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists in 34 minutes of play. Garnett was extremely active on the defensive end and was able to get into K-Love’s head. Love recorded his NBA-leading 45^th double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds, but shot a miserable 5-18 from the field and turned the ball over 3 times. The Celtics defenders did a good job of not biting at Love’s shot fakes and forced him to take many tough, contested looks, and the Celtics ran away for a 100-79 victory on the road.

With Barea missing time again due to injury, Luke Ridnour continues to assume the majority of the minutes at PG, despite having to play through a strained groin. Ridnour appeared to aggravate his groin in the third quarter, but was able to come back in for the final minutes of the contest. Confronting excellent perimeter defense, Ridnour was noticeably frustrated on the court and had a tough time sticking with the quick and physical Boston guards. In 36 minutes, Pop-a-shot had 15 points on 7-13 shooting and tallied 8 dimes, but he turned the ball over 4 times and was exploited on the defensive end.

At the half, the Celtics led the Pups 56-45. The Timberwolves turned the ball over 10 times compared to only 5 Celtics turnovers. Leading the way for the green was Rajon Rondo, who notched 12 first half assists and dissected a patchy Wolves defense. Kevin Love recorded 13 points and 7 rebounds, but shot just 4-11 from the field and was noticeably disrupted from good interior defense and double teams by the Celtics. Meanwhile, Kevin Garnett played good defense on Love and scored 12 points on 6-10 shooting while grabbing 5 rebounds.

In the second half, the Wolves were unable to get within 9 points of Boston and were not able to make necessary adjustments on either end of the floor. Rajon Rondo continued his magic in the second half, finishing with 17 dimes while completely manipulating the Wolves defensive scheming.

Minnesota’s wing play continues to be a problem, and players like Paul Pierce are able to have a field day against the weak perimeter defense presented by the Wolves. Pierce finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds, and the Pups had absolutely no answer for him. Starters Martell Webster and Wes Johnson extended their struggles into tonight, combining for 9 points on 4-14 shooting. Neither player had success on the defensive end and both had very poor shot selection. Wes hoisted up any open look that he got instead of attacking the rim and looking for high percentage shots, telling a lot about his basketball IQ.

Rookie Derrick Williams got another start at PF and had a tough time against the big Celtics frontcourt. D-Will scored 14 points on 5-14 shooting and grabbed 7 rebounds in 39 minutes, all the while playing sloppy defense and getting tossed around by Greg Stiemsma and KG. Although Boston is statistically the worst rebounding team in the NBA, they were able to grab the same amount of rebounds as the Pups (45).

Seeing time as the backup PG once again was rookie Malcolm Lee, who was really up and down tonight. The intensity that he brings to the game is very noticeable, and it is also clear that Lee is not completely comfortable playing in the NBA atmosphere yet. Despite this, Lee scored 7 points and grabbed 3 rebounds and played a decent game overall. I am very excited to see what this kid can do for the Pups in the future, as he has all the tools to be an effective combo guard under Coach Rick Adelman.

The Timberwolves bench was really outplayed by Boston’s tonight. Anthony Tolliver provided some decent minutes, converting 3 of his 5 field goal attempts and playing solid defense. However, also seeing time was Wayne Ellington, who missed all 6 of his shot attempts while committing 2 turnovers. Wayne has now missed his last 11 shots and his confidence appears to be waning. Brad Miller saw rare minutes, netting 2 free throws and doing not much else in 8 minutes.

The Celtics won their tenth straight matchup against Minnesota, and the Pups have been unable to defeat Boston ever since trading Kevin Garnett to them in 2007. The difference between the two teams intensities on defense was impossible to ignore. Boston rotated on defense as well as any opponent the Pups have faced this season, and the Wolves can learn a thing or two about rotating to the open man on defensive switches. Turnovers were a huge problem for the Pups as they committed 20 as a team, compared to only 9 by Boston. They simply have to stop being careless with the ball on offense, and need to respond with intensity against tough man defense. They continually broadcasted their passes, trying passes over the entire defense that resulted in interceptions, and were simply outhustled for loose balls. If Kevin Love wants to become the best player in Minnesota Timberwolves history, he is going to have to learn to be the defensive beast that KG still is today.

• Key Player: What a homecoming for Kevin Garnett, as he produced a stat line that Minnesota fans were used to seeing night in and night out.
• Key Stat: 20 turnovers for the Timberwolves. At this point in the season, it is absolutely unacceptable to be as careless with the ball as they were tonight.

Photo Credits: Guxed.net

If there is such a thing as a “gimme” in the National Basketball Association, the postseason hungry Timberwolves experienced just that in their faceoff in Charlotte last night, defeating the Bobcats 88-83. In a game ridden with missed opportunities for the Bobcats and a clear lack of a sense of urgency for the Wolves, Kevin Love continued his March mean streak and provided 45% of the teams scoring, as he netted 40 points while grabbing 19 rebounds. The NBA community is starting to view performances such as this as typical for the Timberwolves superstar, as this was K-Love’s third highest game point total in the month of March. Love completely outsmarted a foolish and youthful Bobcats team, using shot fakes to get his defender in the air while jumping into them and getting several and-1s. The level that Love is currently playing at offensively rivals the days of Kevin Garnett in his prime, and if he can improve on the defensive end, K-Love has a chance to make The Big Ticket an afterthought for Minnesota Timberwolves fans. The Wolves were without several offensive weapons last night as JJ Barea, Nikola Pekovic, and Michael Beasley were all sidelined due to injury.

The role that Luke Ridnour has played for this team this season is intangible. Ridnour, a locker room leader, has elevated his play to that of his days as a Seattle Supersonic, and has become a consistent double-digit assist man nearly every night. Tonight, Ridnour played sensationally and produced a stat line of 15 points, 14 assists, 5 rebounds, and only 2 turnovers in 43 minutes. What has been overlooked this season for Ridnour has been his defense, which I believe may be his greatest strength. Luke, now playing the role as a combo guard, has been asked to guard players from 5-10 (Squeaky Johnson) to 6-9 (Chandler Parsons), and has played his tail off while not getting exploited in size mismatches. Not to mention that he has been playing the last week or so with a strained groin and a sore leg, Pop-a-shot realizes his importance to the team with Ricky Rubio lost for the season and is displaying his tremendous character and toughness.

With JJ Barea out with yet another injury, Malcolm Lee assumed the backup point guard duties, although they were short lived. In the 5 minutes that Luke Ridnour was catching a breather, Lee really played some nice basketball. After being substituted into the game in the second quarter, Lee had to immediately call a time out in order to figure out what play the team was running, a sequence of events that left the entire Timberwolves team laughing on the bench. Lee, a SG at UCLA, has been asked by Coach Rick Adelman to share some of the PG duties due to the lack of backcourt depth on the team. He possesses good size (6’5” 200 lbs) and is a very good defender, like his UCLA buddies. After getting the play straightened out, Lee played some very impressive ball. Playing with good intensity and some obvious rookie jitters, Lee made three nice drives to the hoop with two of them ending in conversions, the other being an impressive up-and-under that nearly dropped. He also did a nice job running the point and was able to set his teammates up with several open looks, but with only one shot falling. Lee definitely looked like a rookie as he committed two quick fouls and was overly aggressive on defense, but that is what we love to see out of young guns like him. Rick Adelman has explained that the 21 year old has a chance to be a very nice player in this league, but what does Rick Adelman know about PG talent….?

The other rookie getting time tonight was Derrick Williams, who had a night to forget. Shooting 2-11 from the field, D-Will was unable to finish many drives to the hoop that we have become accustomed to seeing him finish. He looked very off on the offensive end and his shot was simply not falling. We will give D-Will a pass on this one, as the team was able to win and every player is going to have nights like this. The most important thing is how he will respond to the adversity of having tough games, but having seen the type of competitor that D-Will is, I have no doubts that he will only use his frustration as motivation in order to make himself a better player.

After one half, the Timberwolves trailed 47-45 despite being up by as many as 9 in the second quarter. The Wolves played to the level of their competition and got lazy on defense, using their hands instead of moving their feet on the defensive end.  With Nikola Pekovic sidelined with bone spurs in his ankle and Darko in the doghouse, the need for a center has never been more blatant. Both teams shot 42% in the first half and the Wolves shot selection got progressively worse as the half went on. The big difference between the two teams in the first half was free throws, as the Wolves made 4-6 while the Bobcats nailed 11 of their 14 attempts. In the second half, the Bobcats shot poorly and played like the NBA-worst team that they are. Despite outrebounding the Wolves in the first half, the Pups finished with 50 team rebounds compared to the Bobcats 38. Charlotte reminds me of the Timberwolves roster from a few years back: although they possess some good talent to base their future around (Gerald Henderson, Bismack Biyombo), they simply have no idea how to win games. Whenever the game got close, the Bobcats did not know how to keep the game close or extend leads, generally taking bad shots and going silent on offense.

Outside of Kevin Love, the big story for the Pups these last few weeks has been the play of Anthony Tolliver, who notched a double-double last night with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes of play. The thing that I love most about Tolliver is his mentality and attitude towards the game. AT is a winner and he is solely focused on making the team better, doing whatever he needs to do to help get Ws. Whether he was sitting on the bench for a month receiving countless DNP-CDs (did not play, coaches decision), he remained ready for his opportunity and has completely taken advantage of the minutes awarded to him. A coach like Rick Adelman recognizes a true winner when he sees one, and I would not be surprised is the Wolves do everything that they can to find more guys with winning mentalities like Tolliver when free agency hits.

Wesley Johnson and Martell Webster both experienced quiet nights, combining for 5-11 shooting while playing overall decent defense. With Love taking the scoring load, Minnesota has not required much production out of their wings. However, the team must not become too dependent on Love for points because the nights where Love does not have his shot, they are going to need other ways to produce offensively. I REALLY want to see something more out of Wes this next month, as it looks like his career is heading him towards being nothing more than a solid defender. Finally, Wayne Ellington had one of his worst nights, missing all 5 of his shots in 24 minutes.

• Key Player: Do I need to even say it? Kevin Love is averaging nearly 32 PPG in the month of March and tonight was somehow only his third highest scoring total in the month. He absolutely dominated the Bismack Attack and imposed himself on a lesser opponent.
• Key Stat: The Pups shot 8-21 from three-point range compared to only 3 Bobcats three-pointers. Surprisingly, in 43 minutes of play Luke Ridnour did not attempt one three-pointer

Photo Credits: nbadraft.net

Well.. it’s late in the season and I’m running out of leads. Simply put, it was another one of those games. The game was entertaining by all means, but once again resulted in the opponents sneaking out a victory while the Wolves let another opportunity slip away in the 4th quarter. A lot of comparisons can be drawn between Minnesota and Memphis. The Grizzlies are an opportunistic team with solid interior play and a collection of young talent. What Memphis has that we don’t is a little leadership. The impact of guys like Tony Allen and Zach Randolph on a roster can’t be overstated. Looking at Memphis and the experience that the team gained with last years playoff experience reminds you of what a shame it is that the Rubio-less Wolves will likely miss out on the postseason. Yes, there is always next year, but going into 2012-13 with a few extra games and a whole lot more experience under our belt sure would have been nice.

I don’t have much to report that you haven’t heard by now, but here are a few game notes:

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• I really enjoyed watching Mike Conley run the point for Memphis. Although he tweaked his ankle in the 2nd quarter, he played a solid all-around game. While only credited for 3 steals, he was all over the court and didn’t allow the Wolves guards to get comfortable at all. What I liked most about his performance was that he didn’t force anything or go outside of his normal game. He took mid-range shots when they were given, but otherwise distributed to the open man. His lefty shot brings me back to Terrell Brandon.. man that guy could hit a mid-range jumper. If only he could have done more than that.
• Rudy Gay started the game 4-7, helping Memphis to an early lead. He finished the game 7-20. It really didn’t look that bad. I have no idea how he missed so many shots.
• We had a Brad Miller sighting tonight. Miller sightings usually mean one of two things – either foul trouble or a thin bench. Tonight, it just went to show how far into the dog house Darko has wandered.
• On a serious note, it was good to see Malcom Lee get some extended minutes. The stat line doesn’t show a whole lot, but in 13 minutes he definitely showed that he is a talented defender who could provide some versatility off the bench. With little hope of the playoffs, I am most looking forward to a) seeing how Lee finishes the season out, b) seeing if Bea-easy can somehow convince Kahn to keep him on the roster (I hope he stays around), and c) seeing how bad it will have to get before Adelman lets Darko! anywhere near the court again.
• D-Will looked like a rookie again tonight, getting the start and playing 41 minutes. At the rate he was moving, it must have felt like twice that. Yeah yeah, he’s a rookie, and the game will slow down for him. The upcoming summer will be a great one for Williams.
• I haven’t said a word about Love because he did what he does every night – keep the Wolves in a position to win late in the game. It’s insane that we can be accustomed to 28-11 as just another ‘Love’ type game. I just hope that getting so close to the playoffs doesn’t do him in.. It’s got to be hard to be on the verge and not make it after his first few seasons in MN.

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That’s all for now. You won’t have to wait long for more Wolves action – the team is in Charlotte for a Wednesday night matchup against BISSSSSSSSMAAAAAKKKKK.

The Minnesota Timberwolves (23-26) returned to the Target Center for Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets (26-22) following a grueling 12-day, 7-game road trip.  Denver entered the game tied for the last playoff spot in the Western Division, with the Wolves 3-1/2 games behind.  The Pups lost their previous game 149-140 in double overtime to the Oklahoma Thunder in one of the greatest games in the Timberwolves’ history. Kevin Love’s 51 points in that game were the most in franchise history. His 7 three pointers were also a career high. It was the first game in the NBA in 28 years that three players had scored 40 or more points in a game, with Russell Westbrook scoring 45 points and Kevin Durant 40 points for the Thunder.

Denver entered the game first in the NBA in scoring, assists and fast-break points. Denver also entered the game with two players with league-leading tattoos, Wilson Chandler and Chris (“The Birdman”) Anderson, who is beginning to resemble a human comic book page. The Pups were shorthanded at the guard position again, as JJ Barea was determined to be unable to play due to a quad contusion. Barea had been brilliant in a 25 points, 14 assists, and10 rebounds effort against the Thunder. Luke Ridnour was also uncertain due to a groin strain.

Any doubts about Ridnour’s effectiveness didn’t last long. Ridnour was the story of the first quarter, shooting 5 of 5 on field goals and scoring 12 points. Denver gained an early 11-5 lead which was overcome by the Pups’ 19-2 run. Denver did not score a field goal for 5-1/2 minutes during the quarter. The Pups lead 33-20 after the first quarter, with Derrick Williams adding 7 points and K-Love scoring 7 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.

The Pups began the second quarter on an 11-0 run as Denver went four minutes without a point. The Wolves continued their balanced scoring, high-energy and shot 52% as a team for the half. The Pups hit the 50 point mark with 5 minutes to play on their way to a 68-43 halftime lead. The 68 point first-half output was a season high for the Pups. The Wolves got 8 second quarter points from Anthony Tolliver, 7 from Michael Beasley and 7 from Wayne Ellington. Luke Ridnour continued his great play in the quarter. Pop-a-Shot added 4 points during the quarter for a first-half total of 17 on seven of seven shooting. K-Love had 13 points and 12 rebounds at halftime. The Pups committed only four turnovers in the half.

The Pups lost some of their offensive magic and defensive intensity in the third quarter as Denver outscored Minnesota 32-25 to trail 93-75 after three. The Nuggets’ athleticism and floor-running narrowed the Pups’ lead to as little as16 points, as the Nuggets showed how fast they can score points. Kevin Love led the Wolves in the third quarter with 12 points and 7 rebounds, ending the quarter with 25 points and 19 rebounds.

The Wolves did what they needed to do during the fourth quarter to win the game 117-100. Remarkably, Denver outscored the Pups 64-38 in the paint and 29-2 on fast-break points for the game. However, the Nuggets committed 17 turnovers compared to only 9 for the Pups, and shot only 3 of 15 on threes compared to 12 of 35 for the Pups. The Wolves’ starters outscored the Nuggets’ starters 77-54. K-Love led the Wolves with 30 points and 21 rebounds, adding 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. This was K-Love’s third 30/20 game of the season. Luke Ridnour added 25 points and 6 assists in a gutsy effort, with Wayne Ellington adding 17 points off the bench. Malcolm Lee scored his first NBA basket and added three assists. Denver was led by Kenneth Faried with 17 points, mostly on jams, and Andre Miller scored 14 points off the bench. This was a nice win for the Pups before an appreciative capacity Target Center crowd after a long road trip against very difficult competition. The Wolves resume play on the road Tuesday against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Photo Credits: Alan Spearman – Associated Press

The Oklahoma City Thunder fans got their money’s worth plus more on Friday night as the Thunder and the Timberwolves hit clutch shot after clutch shot, taking the game into two overtimes in an electric shootout that left the fans with sore legs and scratchy throats.

With a tie score and no shot clock remaining in regulation, Kevin Durant crossed over to his left, stepped back, and drilled a three over a helpless Anthony Tolliver in yet another unguardable score for one of the league’s elite players. With 3.9 seconds remaining, the Wolves called a timeout and received the ball just in front of half court. Going to their own elite player, Kevin Love managed to get a fade-away three-point look over the Thunder defense and stunned the OKC crowd, sinking yet another triple and sending the game into overtime.

Overtime was no different, as each team answered each other’s shots and played each other perfectly equal. With a little under a minute left in OT, the Wolves caught fire and took a 5 point lead, their largest lead of the ballgame. However, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant refused to go away, and Kevin Durant sank another huge three-point shot, sending the game into a second overtime. With the Timberpups missing both Nikola Pekovic and Michael Beasley due to sore feet, the Wolves were already short-handed against the NBA’s top team on the last game of their 7 game, 13 day road trip. Noticeably exhausted, the Pups were unable to hang on but played their hearts out, losing 149-140 in what became an instant classic.

Kevin Love finished with a Timberwolves franchise and personal career high of 51 points on 16-27 shooting, netting a career high 7 of his 11 three-point attempts in a tiring 49 minutes of action. If there were ever any K-Love doubters in Oklahoma City before tonight, there’s not anymore. The sold out Chesapeake Arena witnessed the greatest scoring performance in Minnesota Timberwolves history, greater than anything that Kevin Garnett did while with the ballclub. The most amazing part of it was that Love carried the team against the league’s best team without Ricky Rubio, Pekovic, or Beasley, and put on a clinic while further solidifying himself as the best PF in the world. The Thunder’s depth played a key role in their win tonight, as the Wolves went with only an 8-man rotation, despite playing a 58-minute ball game. Despite being out-sized, out-talented, and exhausted in the last game of their longest road trip of the season, the Wolves displayed resilience and pride as a team by nearly knocking off a truly great team in a game that they had no business being in.

Overshadowed by Kevin Love’s historic night, backup PG JJ Barea managed a triple-double with an eye-popping stat line of 25 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds. The smallest player on the court out-hustled the opposition and went after loose balls with tremendous effort, all to the delight of veteran head coach Rick Adelman. In the first and second overtimes, Barea was seemingly unaffected by the strenuous minutes on the court and was able to blow past obviously exhausted OKC defenders for easy layups. Barea really pushed the tempo and brought the veteran leadership and end of game experience that the Wolves were looking for when they signed him in free agency this past winter. JJ did an excellent job distributing the rock, particularly in the first half when he recorded an incredible 10 assists. However, Barea faced matchup problems against the big, strong, and athletic Russell Westbrook, as he was able to grab late rebounds over him during the final stretches of the game. Westbrook is arguably the most physically gifted athlete to ever play the point guard position in NBA history, and so it is tough to knock Barea for not being able to hang with him.

Starting tonight at PG for the Pups was Luke Ridnour, who did not enjoy the success that his backup had. Ridnour was able to tally 8 assists, but he managed to only convert 4 of his 15 shot attempts and missed a few wide-open looks from beyond the arc. Luke simply did not have his shot tonight, but he played tough defense and still possessed a +3 despite his poor shooting.

I cannot say enough about the spark that Anthony Tolliver has brought to this team these last few weeks. After playing extremely limited minutes all season long, Tolliver began seeing an increased role when Pekovic’s foot problems began a few weeks back, and he has made the most of his opportunities and has impressed his coaches, teammates, and fans. Tolliver could not have played better tonight, scoring 23 points on 9-13 shooting while grabbing 7 rebounds in 44 minutes off of the bench. AT brings a swagger and a great attitude to the floor that his teammates feed off of, and he is not only a class act but he has been playing out of his mind as of late. I am extremely impressed by the enormous growth of his game, and he is beginning to evolve into more than simply an above average defender for the Pups.

The T-Wolves number four overall draft pick from two summers ago was yet again a non-factor in this game, as he played only 16 minutes and missed his only shot attempt. I would not be half surprised if the majority of fans at the Chesapeake Arena did not realize that Wes Johnson stepped onto the floor tonight, as all he did was practically watch his teammates play basketball. It continues to amaze me how Wes is able to squander away so much talent and athleticism on a team where he has so many opportunities to have success. With only 4 weeks left in the regular season, it is not out of the question that Wes could lose his starting spot to either Derrick Williams or Michael Beasley.

With Pekovic out and Darko in Adelman’s doghouse, Derrick Williams got another start, but played only 24 minutes. D-Will did not play poorly, but he was largely ineffective after getting out to a hot start shooting the ball, and he did not play well defensively. Williams ended with 12 points and 2 rebounds.

Martell Webster also saw very limited time tonight despite getting the start at SG, and he ended with only 4 points in 22 minutes. Out-playing Webster was Wayne Ellington who, off the bench, scored 12 points on 5-10 shooting in 36 minutes. Ellington had a very tough time guarding OKC’s beast of a SG in James Harden, and Harden finished with 25 points and 6 assists.

Oklahoma City proved why they are the biggest threat in the West, as they not only boast arguably the most talented roster in the NBA but they also thrive in clutch situations. Russell Westbrook finished with 45 points and Kevin Durant ended with 40 points and a season-high 17 rebounds. All you can do is tip the cap to OKC, as the Pups played a sensational game while facing a lot of adversity.

• Key Player: Kevin Love was able to nail one clutch three-pointer, but Kevin Durant hit two. Both players had phenomenal performances and games like tonight’s are the reasons why people love NBA basketball.
• Key Stat: Minnesota shot 28-36 from the free throw line, but OKC sank 19 of their 20 looks from the charity stripe. In a game that went into 2 overtimes, every point holds tremendous value, and who knows if this one would have gone into extra time if Minnesota had taken advantage of a few more free throws

Photo Credits: Alonzo Adams – Associated Press