Timberwolves-76ers Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Dec 03 2012 10:54AM

The Minnesota Timberwolves appear close to getting one of their top players back from injury, but likely not soon enough to help end their struggles in Philadelphia.

To win two straight for the first time in almost a month, the Wolves must snap a four-game road skid against the 76ers on Tuesday night.

Kevin Love has averaged 21.7 points and 15.3 rebounds in six games since missing the first nine with a broken hand, but Minnesota (7-8) is 2-4 with him in the lineup. That's partly because injuries to Chase Budinger (knee), Andrei Kirilenko (back) and Brandon Roy (knee) have made it hard for the Timberwolves to make consistent strides, but the team could be in for some good news.

Second-year guard Ricky Rubio completed his first extensive practice in nearly nine months Sunday and appears close to returning from a torn ACL that forced him to miss the final 25 games last season.

"I felt pretty good, but I want to be perfect," said Rubio, who averaged 10.6 points, 8.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds as a rookie.

"Until I'm feeling great and nothing at all about my knee, I'm not going to play."

It's likely Rubio won't be on the court for this contest or Wednesday in Boston, but his progress is a big boost for a club that has won two of three since a five-game skid.

Love played through a stomach bug to post 15 points and 14 rebounds, Nikola Pekovic scored 14 with 16 boards and rookie guard Alexey Shved added 16 points and five assists in Friday's 95-85 win over Milwaukee. Though the Timberwolves shot 39.1 percent, they held the Bucks to 36.6 percent from the field and outrebounded them 56-47.

After scoring 17 in a 101-95 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, Shved (10.4 ppg) stepped up in the fourth quarter against the Bucks, scoring 10 points and recording two steals.

"That guy has no filter out there, he just plays," Love said. "He seems like such a shy guy, but when he gets out there, it's a whole different person."

In order to win two in a row for the first time since a three-game run Nov. 5-9, the Timberwolves might need another strong effort from the Russian reserve Tuesday in Philadelphia, where Minnesota has lost its last four by an average of 11.2 points. Love had 21 points and 23 rebounds in a 111-100 defeat in the Timberwolves' last visit March 4, 2011.

Philadelphia (10-7) has averaged 100.7 points while winning five of six at home, but it returns after its three-game overall winning streak ended with Saturday's 93-88 loss at Chicago. Jrue Holiday had 23 points with seven assists and Thaddeus Young scored 22, but the 76ers were outrebounded 50-37 and went 3 of 12 from 3-point range while failing to reach 100 points for the first time in five games.

"I thought our guys played hard," coach Doug Collins said. "If we play hard like that all the time we'll find a way to scratch a game out."

Holiday has averaged 21.8 points on 53.0 percent shooting and 10.5 assists in his last four games. He scored 20 in a 92-91 loss at Minnesota last season, but has totaled 15 points in two home games against the Timberwolves.

Howard, Shved lead Timberwolves past 76ers 105-88

By DAN GELSTON
Posted Dec 04 2012 10:25PM

PHILADELPHIA (AP) His team winning in a laugher, Kevin Love could afford to have some fun on the bench.

While most visiting players give a death stare to the kiss cam, Love leaned over and tried to hug it out with Lou Amundson. Love didn't quite get the affection returned. But that was OK. About everything else went Minnesota's way in their biggest win of the season.

Josh Howard had 16 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double in more than three years to lead the Timberwolves to a 105-88 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

Alexey Shved hit four 3-pointers and scored 17 for the Timberwolves, who raced to a 23-point lead in the first half and never looked back.

Love had six points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota on a night where he was hardly needed to turn in his usual dominant double-double performance. Jose Barea came off the bench and finished with 11 points and 10 assists, and three other Minnesota reserves also reached double figures.

The Timberwolves made 11 of their first 19 3-point attempts after coming in shooting a woeful 27 percent from long range this season. They shot a season-high 53 percent from the floor and scored more than 100 points for the second time this season.

"We always made a shot. We kept getting stops," coach Rick Adelman said. "That's the biggest thing."

Howard had his best game since joining the Timberwolves last month. Howard averaged 8.7 points last season in Utah, but needed a minor surgery on his left knee during the season. It's the same knee in which he tore the ACL in 2010, an injury that slowed him for nearly two seasons.

Howard said the knee is feeling good now - and he looked great in 29 minutes against the Sixers, shooting 7 of 12 and making two 3-pointers.

He hit five of his first seven shots and scored 10 points in the first quarter to help Minnesota build a quick 13-point lead. He was impressive from mid-range and showed why he's been in the starting lineup for the last three games.

Howard had his first double-double since he had one for Dallas on April 10, 2009, and made sure the Timberwolves keep a comfortable lead.

"We didn't want to give them any life," Adelman said. "For the most part, we did that."

Howard appears in shape and ready to help push Minnesota (8-8) over .500. The Timberwolves have been banged up by injuries all season with Love (illness), Malcom Lee (groin) and Andrei Kirilenko (back spasms) all missing games or practice. Ricky Rubio just returned to practice for the first season this season as he recovers from a surgically repaired left knee.

The Timberwolves can give Rubio all the time he wants to come back if they keep playing like this. Luke Ridnour ended a brief Sixers spurt with a 3 in the third. Howard hit a 3 to make it 80-63 and Shved followed with another for an 18-point lead. Shed made his first three 3-pointers before slowing down.

"You aren't always going to play like we did tonight," Barea said. "I think we're doing a good job of staying aggressive and it's working out for us."

Evan Turner led the Sixers with 19 points.

What was left of an already sparse crowd booed the Sixers off the court after this listless performance. While Minnesota hit 3 after 3 to build a lead, the Sixers missed a whopping 15 of 20 attempts. Jason Richardson scored 14 points and Jrue Holiday had 13 points and nine assists.

"We have to fight. We have to compete," coach Doug Collins said. "We're not gonna run up and down the sidelines here. That's not going to work. This team hasn't been through anything together. So I don't know who we are."

The Sixers are loaded with new players after a big offseason overhaul and Collins is still looking for a locker room leader. Richardson tried to stay positive after their second straight loss.

"We try to stay together, that's the main thing," Richardson said. "We were outplayed. Yes, we are a very new team, we don't know each other real well, but we have a 10-8 record."

Notes: Collins said the Sixers would consider sending F Arnett Moultrie to the NBDL. ... Sixers G Nick Young sat out with an injured toe. ... Minnesota's 65 points in the first half were the most scored against the 76ers in any half this season. ... Minnesota's 13 3-pointers were a season high. ... The Timberwolves had a 47-40 edge on the boards. The Sixers have been outrebounded in nine of the last 12 games.

Notebook: Timberwolves 105, 76ers 88

Gordon Jones, for NBA.com
Posted Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:33 PM - Updated Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:33 PM

THE FACTS: Reserve guard Alexey Shved scored 17 points and Josh Howard, making just his third start of the season, added a season-high 16 as the Minnesota Timberwolves drubbed the Philadelphia 76ers 105-88 Tuesday in the Wells Fargo Center.

Howard, who started at small forward when Andrei Kirilenko didn't make the trip because of back spasms, shot 7-for-12 from the field. He also grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds, in recording his first double-double since April 10, 2009, when he played for Dallas.

All-Star forward Kevin Love was limited to a season-low six points, but seven players cracked double figures for the Wolves (8-8). They shot 53.2 percent from the field (41-for-77), and made a season-high 13 3-pointers in 25 attempts, for a season-best 52 percent. They also scored over 100 points for the first time in 13 games, and recorded their most one-sided victory of the year.

J.J. Barea also had his first double-double of the season, with 11 points and 10 assists.

Evan Turner led the Sixers (10-8), who have dropped two straight, with 19 points.

QUOTABLE: "You aren't always going to play like we did tonight. Sometimes you have a bad game. ... I think we're doing a good job of staying aggressive, and it's working out for us."

-- Minnesota guard J.J. Barea

THE STAT: Minnesota owned a 57-23 advantage in bench scoring.

TURNING POINT: The Wolves outscored the Sixers 29-19 over the opening nine minutes of the second quarter to take a 63-40 lead. Their advantage was 65-47 at halftime, and never smaller than 14 thereafter.

HOT: Shved, who entered shooting 38.9 percent from the floor, went 5-for-8, 4-for-7 on 3-pointers.

NOT: Love, playing his seventh game since returning from a hand injury, shot 2-for-10 for his six points, and saw his double-double streak end. He did grab 10 rebounds.

QUOTABLE II: "We've got a 10-8 record, and there's nothing to be sad about. (The loss is) a concern, but it's nothing to go crazy about."

-- Philadelphia guard Jason Richardson

INSIDE THE ARENA: The announced attendance was 13,986.

QUOTABLE III: "They cut it to 14 and everything, but we always made a shot. We kept making shots, and that's the biggest thing."

-- Minnesota coach Rick Adelman

GOOD MOVE: The decision by Adelman to play Howard in place of Kirilenko. Howard, averaging 5.9 points before Tuesday, scored 10 in the first quarter alone.

BAD MOVE: The decision by the Sixers to take the floor. They led only once, at 7-6, and were down 34-21 after a quarter.

NOTABLE: Richardson (14), Jrue Holiday (13) and Thaddeus Young (13) also reached double figures for the Sixers. ... Holiday also had nine assists, and Richardson paced his team with seven rebounds. ... The other Wolves to crack double figures were Dante Cunningham (13), Luke Ridnour (10), Malcolm Lee (10) and Derrick Williams (10). ... The Wolves' 65 first-half points were the most they have scored in any half this year, and the most the Sixers have allowed in a half.

UP NEXT: For the Timberwolves, Wednesday @ Boston, Friday vs. Cleveland, Dec. 12 vs. Denver. For the Sixers, Friday vs. Boston, Saturday @ Boston, Dec. 10 vs. Detroit.

• Timberwolves: Budinger, Roy, Rubio
• 76ers: Bynum

• Timberwolves: --
• 76ers: --

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Officials: #48 Scott Foster, #40 Leon Wood, #76 Steven Anderson
• Attendance: 13986
• Duration: 1:57