Timberwolves-Nuggets Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Feb 20 2012 1:12AM

Kevin Love has helped the Minnesota Timberwolves climb back to .500.

A rare victory in Denver would give them a winning record and pull them even with the Nuggets in the Northwest Division.

Love and the Timberwolves go for their first four-game winning streak in two years Monday night when they try to snap a six-game losing streak to Denver.

In six contests since serving a two-game suspension for stepping on Houston's Luis Scola, Love has averaged 27.7 points and 16.3 rebounds. He's helped the Timberwolves (16-16) win their last three games following a four-game skid, returning to the .500 mark at the latest point in a season since they were 22-22 on Jan. 29, 2007.

Love had a rough start Sunday by missing 13 of his first 15 shots, but the All-Star forward recovered to pour in 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter of a 92-91 victory over Atlantic Division-leading Philadelphia, including two game-winning free throws with one-tenth of a second remaining.

"They say if you keep putting yourself in that situation (of closing games), you're going to eventually get comfortable with it," Love said after grabbing 15 boards to complete his league-best 28th double-double.

The Timberwolves, who last won four straight Jan. 29-Feb. 6, 2010, will have to get comfortable playing away from home as of 16 of their next 23 games are on the road.

Love averaged 29.0 points and 16.7 rebounds in three games against the Nuggets in 2010-11. A groin injury sidelined him the last time these teams met, a Denver 130-106 home win April 9.

The Nuggets (17-15) have won 16 of the last 17 meetings with the Timberwolves, but they return to Denver with 10 losses in their last 13 games overall.m They finished an 0-3 trip Sunday with a 124-118 overtime loss to Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City.

Denver fell despite leading by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter, and five in the final minute.

"In a lot of ways we won the game, but the scoreboard says we lost it," said coach George Karl, whose team fell 103-102 to Memphis on Friday on a tip-in with less than one second left.

Despite the rough trip, the Nuggets have to feel good about Arron Afflalo's team-high 27 points Sunday. He got back on track after totaling 11 points and shooting 2 of 13 through the first two games of the trek.

Afflalo averaged 18.7 points on 55.9 percent shooting in three games against Minnesota last season. Like Love, he missed the April 9 game due to injury (strained hamstring).

If Nuggets forward Nene (calf) is sidelined for a fifth consecutive game, Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic could have an easier time setting a franchise record by grabbing five or more offensive rebounds in a sixth consecutive game. He tied Love's mark with five against the 76ers.

Pekovic is averaging 21.0 points and 11.6 boards over his last five games.

Timberwolves rookie Ricky Rubio and Denver's Ty Lawson will face each other for the first time since Minnesota selected both point guards - in addition to Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn - in the first round of the 2009 draft.

Rubio scored a season-high 22 points Sunday and has 40 in his last two games.

Lawson averaged 26.3 points and 6.7 assists in three games versus Minnesota in 2010-11. He set career highs with 10 3-pointers and 37 points the last time the Timberwolves were in town.

Nuggets hold off Timberwolves in OT, 103-101

By PAT GRAHAM
Posted Feb 21 2012 1:50AM

DENVER (AP) Arron Afflalo may be the closest thing the banged-up Denver Nuggets have to a late-game closer.

So when he clanged his first game-winning chance off the back of the rim at the end of regulation, he berated himself all the way to the bench, just hoping for another shot.

And when that second opportunity arrived, Afflalo didn't miss.

Afflalo hit a tiebreaking floater in the lane with 33.7 seconds remaining in overtime and reserve Al Harrington scored a season-high 31 points as the Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 103-101 Monday night.

This time, Afflalo took it closer to the rim, spinning past defender Luke Ridnour and swishing his shot to put Denver ahead for good. From there, the Nuggets closed the game out at the line and snapped a three-game skid.

A big sigh of relief - for Afflalo and the Nuggets.

"I was so (mad) that I missed the first one," said Afflalo, who finished with 20 points. "My opportunities for those situations have been rare this season. I knew I could get my shot off on Ridnour, without him really thinking he could block my shot.

"It's good to win a close one."

The Nuggets may have caught a little break, too.

Up by three points with 3.9 seconds remaining in overtime, little-used point guard Julyan Stone, who was seeing his first significant action following the ejection of Andre Miller and an injury to Ty Lawson, had his in-bounds pass stolen by Martell Webster.

His heart sank. There went perhaps the lead and possibly even the game.

Only, Webster didn't pull up for a 3-pointer.

Instead, he coasted in for the dunk.

"When I saw him pass the 3-point line, I just said, `Thank you,"' Stone said. "That's all I was thinking - go lay it up."

The Nuggets threw the ball in and Corey Brewer was fouled, hitting 1 of 2 free throws with 0.5 seconds left and sealing the win.

Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman was befuddled at Webster's decision.

"Maybe emotions got the best of him," he said.

Webster's thought process was simple: He thought he could get fouled on his way to the hoop.

"If I had to do it over again, yeah, I'd probably pull up for a jump shot," Webster said. "But what was going through my mind was go to the rim and possibly get fouled. The contingency to that shot was get a bucket, get a foul, they miss free throws and we get another shot. It didn't work out that way."

Kevin Love had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota, which snapped its three-game winning streak.

Harrington came up big all night, tying the score at 93 on a 3-pointer from the corner with 1:39 remaining in regulation.

Like Afflalo, he craves the ball at crunch time.

"Me and Arron needed to be more aggressive, earn our pay tonight," Harrington said. "Usually, we're laid back and let the game come to us. We forced the issue."

The Nuggets lost their cool and control of the game late in the third quarter.

Leading 76-69, Miller became irate over an offensive foul and kept barking at the officials, eventually leading to his ejection. The Timberwolves took advantage, using an 11-2 run to take the lead.

"There was no question it put extra pressure on our team, but we passed the test," coach George Karl said.

With flying colors.

The banged-up Nuggets were without Danilo Gallinari (left ankle), Nene (left calf strain) and Rudy Fernandez (lower back strain). They also lost Lawson to a sprained left ankle in the second quarter. His status is day-to-day.

Karl is hoping to keep the team afloat and not lose ground in the playoff race until he gets all his pieces back. Nene might return later this week and Gallinari could be back on the court soon after the All-Star break.

The possible addition of former Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler might just help. He watched the game Monday night from a suite with team executive Masai Ujiri sitting by his side.

Chandler's in town as he looks at potential landing places for when his time in China is finished. He signed with Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association during the lockout and is ineligible to return until his team signs off and FIBA, basketball's governing body, gives him clearance.

Watching his former team play made him all the more anxious to be back in an NBA uniform.

"Hopefully we get something done," said Chandler, who sat at Miller's locker after the game as he chatted with teammates. "Watching (the NBA) on TV and coming to the game today, it makes you miss it."

The Timberwolves weren't at full strength, either, as center Darko Milicic didn't make the trip due to a stomach ailment. Milicic just recently returned to the lineup after missing a few games with a sprained right ankle.

They also lost another center when Nikola Pekovic left with a sprained right ankle. He had seven points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes.

NOTES: Timberwolves G Ricky Rubio and Lawson were both picked by the Timberwolves in the 2009 draft. Rubio was taken fifth overall and Lawson at 18th, before being dealt to Denver. ... Miller had 12 assists before his ejection. ... Rookie F Kenneth Faried had 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Notebook: Nuggets 103, Timberwolves 101

Posted Tuesday February 21, 2012 1:28AM

By Michael Kelly, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Al Harrington had a season-high 31 points and nine rebounds, Arron Afflalo had 20 points and hit a tie-breaking jumper with 33.7 seconds left to lift the shorthanded Denver Nuggets over the Minnesota Timberwolves 103-101 in overtime Monday night.

Rookie Kenneth Faried had 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for Denver, which snapped a three-game losing streak despite losing both of its point guards during the game. Starter Ty Lawson sprained his left ankle in the first half and Andre Miller was ejected late in the third quarter.

Kevin Love recorded 22 points and 13 rebounds and Michael Beasley had 17 points off the bench for the Timberwolves, who had their three-game win streak snapped.

QUOTABLE: "Me and Arron needed to be more aggressive, earn our pay tonight. Usually, we're laid back and let the game come to us. We forced the issue a little bit." -- Harrington.

THE STAT: Neither team could hit a shot for the first 3:08 of overtime. The teams combined to miss 13 shots in that time, a streak that finally ended when Harrington hit a turnaround jumper to give Denver a 95-93 lead.

TURNING POINT: With 4.9 seconds left and Minnesota down by three, Martell Webster stole Denver's inbounds pass near midcourt. Instead of pulling up for a 3-pointer to tie the game, Webster dunked the ball with 1.3 seconds left. Corey Brewer hit 1 of 2 free throws with .5 seconds left and the Nuggets held on.

QUOTABLE II: "I was going to try to attack the basket and get a foul. If I had to do it over again, yeah, I'd probably pull up for a jump shot but what was going through my mind was go to the rim and possibly get fouled. Most people probably would have pulled up for the 3-point shot, yeah, I can see why they would. If I had to do it over again I'd probably do the same thing. I'll take that one. I'm alright."
-- Webster.

HOT: Despite giving up 4 inches and 40 pounds, Timberwolves guard Luke Ridnour played strong defense on Afflalo in the fourth quarter and overtime. He forced Afflalo into a tough shot at the end of regulation and he harassed him in the extra period with quick feet and hands.

NOT: Harrington struggled from the foul line and it almost cost the Nuggets the game. He missed all five attempts, including two with Denver trailing 91-90 in regulation. He also missed a pair in the overtime.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Former Nugget forward Wilson Chandler was spotted sitting in Denver executive vice president Masai Ujuri's suite during the game. He was also in the Nuggets locker room postgame, sitting in his old stall. Chandler, who came over in the trade New York last year, signed with a team in China during the lockout but is expected to re-sign with the Nuggets soon.

GOOD MOVE: When the Timberwolves lost Nikola Pekovic to a sprained right ankle in the first half, the Nuggets went with a small lineup for most of the second half even with a pair of 7-footers in Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos. Both watched as Harrington played center and Faried was the power forward. It worked because the Nuggets' quickness overcame their lack of size.

BAD MOVE: Miller let his emotions get the better of him at a time when his team desperately needed his leadership. With his team ahead by seven and 31 seconds left in the third he was called for an offensive foul. He argued his way into a technical but didn't stop there. He kept talking and picked up another technical right away, sending him to the locker room and forcing the Nuggets to go to rookie Julyan Stone for the rest of the game.

QUOTABLE III: "There was no question it put extra pressure on our team, but we passed the test. It doesn't fall into an Andre Miller thought process."
-- Denver head coach George Karl, on Miller getting tossed.

ROOKIE WATCH: Stone and Faried didn't play like rookies, especially in overtime. The pair were a big reason Denver pulled this one out. Faried came up with big rebounds and strong defensive plays throughout the game, including three blocks. Stone played the final 18 minutes and had just two turnovers. He also played strong defense on Ricky Rubio. His one bad play was throwing a soft pass that Webster intercepted with Denver up by three.

QUOTABLE IV: "My heart dropped. I was thinking, 'I got to get back on defense.' I seen him pass 3-point line and said thank you. That's all I was thinking, go lay it up."
-- Stone, on Webster's steal.

NOTABLE: The Timberwolves lost Pekovic to a sprained right ankle in the first half. ... Love notched his 29th double-double of the season and 158th of his career. He has 10 straight double-doubles dating back to Feb. 1. ... Faried's 14 rebounds are the most by a Denver rookie since Carmelo Anthony did it twice during the 2003-04 season.

UP NEXT: For the Timberwolves, Wednesday vs. Utah, Tuesday, Feb. 28 @ L.A. Clippers, Thursday, March 1 @ L.A. Lakers. For the Nuggets, Wednesday @ L.A. Clippers, Thursday vs. San Antonio, Wednesday, Feb. 29 vs. Portland.

• Timberwolves: Lee, Milicic
• Nuggets: Nene

• Timberwolves: --
• Nuggets: Brewer, Miller, Miller

• Lead Changes: 11
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #30 John Goble, #54 Nick Buchert
• Attendance: 17263
• Duration: 2:38