Nets vs. Timberwolves Preview
It may be a stretch for the Minnesota Timberwolves to believe they should have won their last home game.
That definitely won’t be the case in their next one when they look to record their eighth straight home victory over the New Jersey Nets on Saturday night.
Minnesota (8-25) missed an opportunity for its first three-game win streak of the season with a 119-113 loss to Denver on Wednesday. The Timberwolves gave up 66 second-half points in dropping their seventh straight at home to the Nuggets.
According to NBA odds and oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGlobal.com have made the Timberwolves -4 point spread favorites for Saturday’s game against the Nets. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 50% of more than 630 bets for this game have been placed on the Timberwolves -4.
“This is one we felt like we let slip away against a team we should have beat,” said Kevin Love, who recorded his 19th straight double-double with 26 points and 14 rebounds.
The Timberwolves have to like their chances against the Nets (9-24), who haven’t won at the Target Center since Nov. 23, 2002. New Jersey blew a 16-point lead with less than 7 minutes to play in last season’s opener at Minnesota, a 95-93 loss in Kurt Rambis’ first game as coach of the Timberwolves.
Rambis believes Minnesota is showing signs of improvement although it remains one of the league’s worst defensive teams, allowing opponents to shoot 46.8 percent and average 109.6 points. His club is allowing 104.7 points and 44.7 percent shooting over the last three games.
“When you look at our ballclub and where we started in training camp and where we are now in a short period of time, we have vastly improved,” Rambis said. “It’s incredible the strides that we have made, but obviously it’s just not good enough. We’re going to keep working, the coaches are going to keep working, the players are going to keep working until we get it right.”
Love continues to be a leading candidate for the league’s Most Improved Player, averaging 20.8 points and an NBA-best 15.5 rebounds with a league-leading 28 double-doubles. The third-year forward is averaging 23.2 points and 16.7 boards over the last 19 games.
Frontcourt mate Michael Beasley has put together his second set of consecutive 30-point games. He’s shot 60.0 percent or better in two straight for the first time since Dec. 4-6, 2009.
The short-handed Nets lost their fourth straight Friday, shooting 39.0 percent and finishing with their lowest point total in 12 games in a 90-81 loss to Chicago.
“If you really watched this game, our guys battled tonight,” coach Avery Johnson said. “The game was physical.”
New Jersey held backup point guard Jordan Farmar out of the game with a bruised right knee and is awaiting his MRI results. Forward Troy Murphy stayed at the hotel with a viral infection and flu, and will miss this game.
Nets forward Kris Humphries will start for the first time in his hometown after averaging 4.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in his previous six visits as a reserve with numerous teams.
Minnesota’s Darko Milicic, among the league leaders with 2.5 blocks per game, was held out of practice Thursday with a left hip contusion and is listed as day to day.
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