Minnesota Timberwolves News

Gomes' big game comes at fine time
Comment
February 8
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Ryan Gomes' 26 points Saturday were more than a team-high performance on a night the Timberwolves extended their winning streak to four games, their longest since they won five consecutively in January last season. They were part of the audition. "Everybody, you're always auditioning in this league," Gomes said. True, but perhaps Gomes more so than most. This summer, the Wolves must decide whether they will extend Gomes' conditional five-year contract he signed two summers ago and pay him $4.2 million for next season. If they decide not to do so, he will be paid about $1 million for each of those remaining three seasons. It's an unusual contractual arrangement that was agreed upon long ..."
Turnovers part of young team's learning process
Comment
February 7
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"While his players have spent the past four months learning his offense, Kurt Rambis has had to learn an important lesson, too: how to live with their mistakes. In both cases, progress is being made. It's not easy, the Wolves coach said, "but some of the turnovers I have to expect because I'm asking the guards to do different things than they're used to doing." Until Saturday, when the Wolves made only seven turnovers in a 109-102 victory over Memphis, that had led to an avalanche of miscues on the floor -- more than any other NBA team, in fact. The Wolves had committed 814 turnovers before Saturday's game, 36 more than second-worst Phoenix. Jonny Flynn, who handles the ball more than any ..."
'Old Al' pulls out new tricks in another Wolves victory
Comment
February 7
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Exactly 363 days had passed since Al Jefferson ripped up the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, an injury that typically takes a professional basketball player a year to completely recover from. It's two days early, but let's go ahead and consider the Timberwolves' 109-102 victory over Memphis on Saturday to be Jefferson's clean bill of health. He does. "I felt like the old Al," Jefferson said after scoring 16 fourth-quarter points to almost single-handedly turn a seven-point Memphis lead into the Wolves' fourth consecutive victory. "That was a good feeling. ... I felt like the old Al Jefferson for the first time all season." It was something to behold for the Wolves, who also ..."
Jefferson, Love and ????
Comment
February 7
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Timberwolves' three-game winning "streak" last week showcased reserve-turned-starter Ryan Hollins and illustrated the benefits of a long, athletic center playing in combination with undersized power forwards Kevin Love and Al Jefferson. If the Wolves intend for Love and Jefferson to play their entire careers together -- still a big "if" at this point -- they'll need a complementary third player. Denver coach George Karl suggests a "young Marcus Camby." So who could that possibly be? Let's look at the possibilities already present or available through trade or with one of as many as three first-round picks the team could own this summer: Ryan Hollins: He can run and jump. Everyone can ..."
Rambis saw a lot to like in Timberwolves' win at Dallas
Comment
February 7
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The Timberwolves' game against Memphis on Saturday night at Target Center didn't give players and coaches much time to enjoy the team's most significant win of the season. In a season of setbacks and disappointments, Wolves coach Kurt Rambis said Friday's 117-108 victory at Dallas was an example of the team's steady improvement after a 1-15 start. The improvement continued with Saturday's 109-102 win over Memphis, which stretched the Wolves' winning streak to four. "That (Dallas) game ranks very high on things we've done this season," Rambis said of the victory over one of the Western Conference's top teams. "Several things worked out well for us." Before Saturday's game, the Wolves had ..."
Jefferson comes up big late as Timberwolves win fourth straight
Comment
February 7
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"A weary Al Jefferson sat in front of his locker, gingerly moving his left arm. If he moved it too far, the Timberwolves forward winced in pain. His left knee was also sore, and his forehead was still sweaty. In sports, however, athletes can tolerate pain a lot easier after a win. Jefferson was in that mode Saturday night after the Wolves extended their winning streak to four games with an impressive 109-102 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in front of 14,159 at Target Center. Jefferson's performance — scoring 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter — overshadowed the milestone of the Wolves' first four-game winning streak in more than a year. Jefferson had a coming-out party of sorts ..."
Victory shows change is doing Wolves good
Comment
February 6
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis met with his players last week after they had been mostly thumped in successive road losses at Milwaukee, New York and Cleveland and declared the 9-38 season start long behind them and a complete fresh start ahead of them. After Friday's 117-108 victory at Dallas -- producing the team's first three-game winning streak of the season -- this question remains: Why didn't he do that in December? "Why didn't we do that in November?" Wolves forward Kevin Love asked. The Wolves now have beaten the Clippers, the Knicks and a suddenly struggling Mavericks team consecutively for what Rambis calls a "multitude of reasons." They include a corresponding lineup change that ..."
Gameday: Wolves vs. Memphis
Comment
February 6
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Preview: The Grizzlies are 26-23 and have lost four of their past five games after Friday's home loss against Houston. That also includes a 105-89 loss at Cleveland and a 95-93 home victory over the Lakers that came despite Kobe Bryant's 44 points. ...The Grizzlies are going for their first season sweep over the Wolves in a history that dates back to their Vancouver days. Players to watch: Memphis forward Zach Randolph, named to play in the All-Star Game for the first time in his career, is 12th in the league in scoring, with a 20.8-ppg average that is the highest by a Grizzlies player since Shareef Abdur-Rahim averaged 23.0 ppg in 1998-99. Pau Gasol (2006) is the only other Memphis ..."
Kahn travels to see Rubio, Pekovic play
Comment
February 6
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis used a rare four-day break in the middle of the season to take his team to Dallas two days early in an unsuccessful search for sun and warmth. Wolves boss David Kahn used those four days for a whirlwind two-city European tour in which he scouted prospects Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic. Kahn watched Rubio's Regal Barcelona lose for the first time in 12 Euroleague games Wednesday night in Belgrade, Serbia, and watched Pekovic's Greek team play in Athens as well. He said he visited with Rubio briefly after that game and told Pekovic the next time he sees him, he'll have Rambis with him in May. Rubio, the fifth pick in last summer's NBA draft, won't play ..."
Dirk doesn't start, Mavericks can't finish in loss to Wolves
Comment
February 6
Dallas Morning News
 
"The bad news for the Mavericks is that there are only 12 shopping days left. That's how long they have before the trade deadline to fix themselves, because after Friday night, it just doesn't seem like the answer is coming from within. If there's a cavalry out there somewhere, the Mavericks need to find it, call for it and send a limo for it if necessary. They got behind by 13 points in the third quarter, erased the deficit, then folded down the stretch as the Minnesota Timberwolves walked out of American Airlines Center with a 117-108 victory. Mark Cuban was understating things this week when he said the Mavericks "suck right now." Asked afterward whether the Mavericks weren't playing ..."
Hollins' fast feet coming in handy
Comment
February 5
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Ryan Hollins was looking out the window of the Charlotte Bobcats' team plane about 15 months ago, watching the team's interns and equipment managers loading baggage while he waited for takeoff, when he saw something that ... well, let's not overstate it. It wasn't an epiphany, Hollins says, not a eureka moment that pivoted his career toward stardom. But it was a reaffirmation of an NBA truth that gave him surprising confidence about his own still-embryonic pro career. As he watched the team's lowest-paid employees handle the grunt work of a road trip, Hollins noticed a familiar face among the baggage-handlers: Larry Brown, the Bobcats' head coach. "You'd think a Hall of Fame coach, a guy ..."
Jefferson has many gifts, but he's no movie critic
Comment
February 4
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves center Al Jefferson probably should stick to his day job. In December, Wolves coach Kurt Rambis summoned his players to a film-session meeting in Salt Lake City, implying that they should be prepared for a long afternoon watching their sins from a lifeless loss at Sacramento the night before. Instead, popcorn, pizza and the critically acclaimed independent film "The Hurt Locker" awaited them. Jefferson, after screening the film about a U.S. Army bomb-squad unit in Iraq, was not impressed. "It was terrible," Jefferson said then. "It was a war movie, but there wasn't enough killing in it. The pizza and the food were good, but the movie. ... It got our minds off basketball, but I ..."
Ryan Hollins has provided much-needed spark for Minnesota Timberwolves
Comment
February 2
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Rookie point guard Jonny Flynn has had some fun decisions to make while dribbling downcourt in the Timberwolves' past two games. Dump the ball inside to Al Jefferson. If Jefferson is covered, go to Ryan Hollins moving along the baseline for a possible slam dunk. When Kevin Love is on the floor, see if he is available for an open three-pointer. Perhaps more than any other player, Flynn has first-hand knowledge of the Wolves' dramatic improvement in front-line production. Coach Kurt Rambis' decision to make Hollins the starting center suddenly has given the Wolves a promising front-line trio and has led to a two-game winning streak. "We've always known what we would get out of Al and Kevin," ..."
A four-day break? Not from practice
Comment
February 2
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Timberwolves beat New York Sunday night at Target Center. They don't play again until Friday at Dallas. That's a rare four-day break in the schedule. It doesn't mean the players themselves get a break because coach Kurt Rambis has practice scheduled every day until Friday. And that's something that has Wolves forward Ryan Gomes hankering to speak to a higher power. "I think we've got to talk to David Stern and Stu Jackson," Gomes said, referring to the NBA commissioner and executive vice president of basketball operations, "and make sure they don't give us this long of a break in the schedule right before All-Star break." The Wolves have four days off coming the end of next week when ..."
Timberwolves get some payback against Knicks as new-look front line leads the way
Comment
February 1
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Last week in New York, the Timberwolves were embarrassed in a 27-point loss to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Wolves players admitted it and team president of basketball operations David Kahn confirmed it. Sunday night at Target Center, the third game in the Wolves' "new season," a much different word could be used to describe the outcome of the rematch. The Wolves were impressive in a 112-91 victory in front of 13,771, putting the Knicks away with a dominant fourth quarter and a front-line trio that could reshape the team's look over the remaining 33 games of the season. Al Jefferson, Kevin Love and Ryan Hollins combined for 53 points, 25 rebounds and 58.1 percent shooting (25 of ..."
David Kahn: No big deadline trades coming
Comment
February 1
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"If the Timberwolves make a trade before the NBA's Feb. 18 trade deadline, Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn said the deal would be "modest" and would not involve any of the team's "core players." Based on playing time and productivity, the Wolves' core players are forwards Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, Ryan Gomes and Damien Wilkins, and guards Jonny Flynn, Corey Brewer, Ramon Sessions and Wayne Ellington. A modest deal, according to Kahn, would be a move that gives the Wolves more talent off the bench at forward or center. "No question, we need more length and athleticism on the front line to complement Al and Kevin," Kahn said before Sunday's 112-91 victory over the New ..."
Brewer gets better with every month
Comment
February 1
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Barely three minutes had passed Sunday, and Corey Brewer already had knocked down a step-back 10-footer and nailed a wide-open three-pointer. Just a typical start these days for Brewer, who closed the finest month of his three-year pro career with a relatively quiet game against the Knicks. The change in the former first-round pick has been profound this season, and especially in January. As the season opened, Brewer was a defensive specialist with a suspect shot -- a career 38 percent shooter in his first two years. But the Florida product has improved offensively every month. He averaged 9.0 points on 36.3 shooting in a pair of October games; 12.1 points on 38.3 percent shooting in ..."
Second win gives Wolves lots to love about lineup
Comment
February 1
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Sometimes it appears that winning NBA games is a lot like picking a lock. You try different combinations over and over without success until, all of a sudden, each of the tumblers lines up perfectly and, voilà: You can beat the Knicks. Or the Clippers. Granted, the Timberwolves' sweep of their two-game homestand against a pair of fellow bottom-feeders isn't all that impressive on paper. But the method that they used to string together back-to-back victories for just the second time this season kindled an undeniably different atmosphere -- could it be optimism? -- in the Wolves' locker room. Maybe, several players seemed to be musing out loud, just maybe, the team's new lineup had as much ..."
Winnable Games Become Empty Words to Knicks
Comment
February 1
New York Times
 
"Shortly after slipping a necklace that resembled rosary beads around his neck, Jared Jeffries jokingly offered a preposterous solution to the funk sinking the Knicks' playoff hopes. Perhaps, he said, the Knicks should try voodoo. A less mystical solution would seemingly involve better defense and smarter shot selection. Both were notably absent Sunday night from the Knicks' 112-91 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team the Knicks routed by 27 points at Madison Square Garden five nights earlier and which, if not for the Nets, would have the worst record in the N.B.A. So back-to-back road games, the first against a Washington team dealing with the gun suspensions of Gilbert Arenas and ..."
Athletic, mobile seven-footer Ryan Hollins is getting more playing time, making opponents notice
Comment
January 31
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Ryan Hollins couldn't remember the last time he played almost the entire fourth quarter of an NBA game. As a backup center-forward over four NBA seasons, struggling to get quality minutes with three teams, Hollins is rarely in that situation — unless the game is a blowout or the player ahead of him is in foul trouble. Neither scenario was a factor Friday night in the Timberwolves' win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Target Center. Wolves coach Kurt Rambis used the 7-foot Hollins for all but 90 seconds of the fourth quarter against the Clippers, a move justified by Hollins' performance in the first three quarters — 14 points, three rebounds, one blocked shot and taking a charge to draw an ..."
Rambis calls on Hollins to make surprising start
Comment
January 30
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"In his perpetual search for five-man units that can each start games better and improve his team's bench strength, Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis once again tinkered with his starting lineup for Friday's home game against the Los Angeles Clippers. This time, he unexpectedly called upon center Ryan Hollins , who not that long ago was sick in bed for days, too ill to eat. This time, the same team that trailed the Knicks 15-0 Tuesday night in New York led the Clippers 9-0, 15-3 and 17-5 Friday on their way to a 19-point first-half lead and an eventual 111-97 victory. Hollins matched his career high with 19 points. Rambis inserted Hollins, moved Ryan Gomes from one forward spot to the ..."
Wolves shedding long-shot status
Comment
January 30
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"A press-table railbird too scientifically gifted to possess a permanent place there did the math during the Timberwolves' 111-97 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. He crunched the data, calculated the probabilities that an average NBA team loses consecutive games to the New Jersey Nets and the Timberwolves and deciphered the odds at 1 in nearly 76. But that's exactly what happened Friday at Target Center, where the Wolves again juggled their starting lineup and this time produced a wire-to-wire victory over a not-quite-average Clippers team that was missing center Chris Kaman. They held leads of 9-0, 19-5 and 64-41 by early in the third quarter, only three nights after ..."
Lineup change puts Minnesota Timberwolves' Damien Wilkins back on the bench
Comment
January 30
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The lineup change by Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis for Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Target Center ended a streak of 23 consecutive starts for forward Damien Wilkins. With Ryan Gomes getting the start, Wilkins came off the bench for the first time since Dec. 14, but the six-year veteran supported the move. "When you have situations like this, where we've been struggling to get wins, changes are going to be made," Wilkins said before the Wolves' 111-97 win. "I don't take it personal. I still go about my business the same way, if I was starting or not." Wilkins was averaging 6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds. He had four points and three rebounds in 19 minutes Friday ..."
Revamped lineup pays off asTimberwolves beat Clippers
Comment
January 30
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"A line written on the chalkboard in the Timberwolves' locker room before Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Target Center read: "The Rest Of The Season Starts Tonight!" In other words, the Wolves appear to have erased much of the misery from the first 47 games of the season. If Friday's game was a fresh start of sorts, the Wolves had a successful debut. The new beginning featured a revamped lineup that turned reserve center Ryan Hollins into a key component of the Wolves' offense and defense. Hollins, making his first start since Nov. 14, matched his career high with 19 points and played all but 90 seconds of the fourth quarter to help the Wolves snap a five-game ..."
Clippers' woes go from worst to worst
Comment
January 30
L.A. Daily News
 
"After being embarrassed by the worst team in the league in a loss to the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night, the Clippers held a players-only meeting to straighten things out heading into a game against the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves. Time to meet again, guys. Two nights after losing to the worst team in the East, the Clippers lost to the team with the Western Conference's worst record, falling 111-97 to the Timberwolves on Friday night. Al Jefferson scored 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, and the Timberwolves led by as many as 23 points in their 10th victory this season. Jefferson also had 16 rebounds and Ryan Hollins tied a career-high with 19points for Minnesota. "We just ..."
For the Clippers, a terrible twofer back east
Comment
January 30
Los Angeles Times
 
"What happens to the Clippers in New Jersey apparently isn't confined to the Northeast. Two days after losing to the worst team in the NBA, the Clippers ventured to the Target Center and stumbled against another franchise already looking forward to the draft lottery. Minnesota moved into double digits for victories thanks to a 111-97 triumph Friday night that left the Clippers in need of a novel approach to reverse their sagging fortunes. A players-only meeting earlier in the day did little to help the team regroup from a 16-point loss to the woeful Nets. "We just talked about salvaging the rest of this season and to try to put Wednesday's loss behind us," said forward Marcus Camby, who had ..."
Timberwolves allow opponents to laugh it up
Comment
January 29
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The Timberwolves are suffering enough this season with a 9-38 record, second worst in the NBA. Are they also struggling with a lack of respect around the league? If there is a respect issue for the Wolves, forward Al Jefferson believes the team's performance is responsible. "Why would a team take us serious when they're up 20 points and we're not playing hard?" he said. "When we play hard, teams will have to take us serious." There were indications in the Wolves' 109-95 loss at Cleveland on Wednesday night that the Cavaliers might not have been too concerned with Jefferson and his teammates. Cavs star LeBron James, who sat out the fourth quarter, took advantage of a timeout to compare his ..."
Foes enjoying Wolves' woes
Comment
January 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"There was a lot of merriment and goofiness on the Cavaliers' side Wednesday night, from LeBron James' dance-off with an usher to James, Shaquille O'Neal and Anthony Parker tickling Daniel Gibson after Gibson was knocked to the floor. Lots of laughter, not much competition in a routine blowout over the Timberwolves. In response, the Cavs' hapless foils on Thursday vowed that someday, somehow, with heaven as their witness, they will extract their blood revenge by ... Oh, never mind. "If we were in that situation, we'd do the same thing," Wolves forward Al Jefferson said. "It's fun when you win. You're smiling, joking -- I don't think they meant any disrespect." No, if there was any ..."
Cavaliers clown around in rout of Timberwolves
Comment
January 28
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"LeBron James' only moves in the fourth quarter were in a playful dance-off with one of the arena's ushers. After a string of nail-biters, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally enjoyed a blowout. J.J. Hickson scored a career-high 23, James added 11 assists before resting the final 12 minutes and the Cavs won comfortably following two weeks of tense-and-tight games, beating the Timberwolves 109-95 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory. It was a welcome change for the Cavaliers, whose previous seven games were decided by a combined 21 points. Cleveland was coming off back-to-back one-point wins over Oklahoma City and Miami. "We're OK with having ones where the big guys don't have to ..."
Flynn, Love named to Rookie Challenge
Comment
January 28
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis summoned youngsters Jonny Flynn and Kevin Love forward on the team's flight from Newark to Cleveland after Tuesday's pathetic 27-point loss to the Knicks. "I thought we were in trouble," Love said Wednesday. "I wasn't sure what we were going to hear after last night's game." Instead, Rambis stood the two players before their teammates and told them they were looking at elected participants to next month's All-Star weekend Rookie Challenge in Dallas. Flynn will play alongside Sacramento's Tyreke Evans, Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings, Golden State's Stephen Curry and five others for the rookie team in the Feb. 12 Friday night game on All-Star weekend. Love will ..."
Wolves bow to the anti-Wolves in predictable loss to Cavs
Comment
January 28
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Inexplicably more competitive than their last two times out, the Timberwolves again nonetheless discovered in Wednesday's 109-95 loss at Cleveland how far ahead the road winds. Embarrassed at Milwaukee and New York, the Wolves faced a Cavaliers team priming for a championship run and actually led early, one night after they trailed the Knicks 15-0. Ultimately, predictably, they were overcome by a tall, talented team that plays a brand of basketball with which these Wolves are utterly unfamiliar. In LeBron James, the Cavs have a uniquely gifted 6-8 wing player who distributes the ball better than anybody the Wolves possess. James had nearly as many assists (11, including eight in the first ..."
Nostalgia for Garden short-lived
Comment
January 27
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves rookie guard Jonny Flynn returned to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night and remembered both the first game and the last one he had played there. Unforgettable, of course, is that six-overtime Big East tournament quarterfinal game in which Flynn played 67 minutes, scored 34 points and led his Syracuse team to victory over Connecticut. "Without that game, without that Big East tournament, I'd still be in school right now," he said. The other game Flynn won't soon forget is the first time he played where he had seen so many times before watching his beloved Knicks play on television. "Actually, the first game I ever played here was the worst game of my career," Flynn said of ..."
After getting buried by 50, Knicks bury Wolves
Comment
January 27
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Timberwolves made history Tuesday night in an arena dripping with it. In the very same Madison Square Garden where Muhammad Ali first fought Joe Frazier and Wayne Gretzky played his final game, the Timberwolves lost 132-105 to a New York Knicks team that had lost by 50 points to Dallas on the very same floor Sunday afternoon. Never before in NBA history has a team that lost by 50 points one game won by 27 the next time out. That 77-point turnaround also is the third-biggest ever. You knew it was a tremendously bad night when Wolves coach Kurt Rambis made like the Wild's Todd Richards and called for nearly a complete line change less than three minutes into the game. You knew it was a ..."
Minny GM: Rubio won't go to Knicks
Comment
January 27
New York Post
 
"Timberwolves eccentric GM David Kahn is friends with Donnie Walsh, serving as understudy to Walsh with the Pacers. They had dinner together Monday night in Manhattan. But Kahn won't do Walsh any favors and bluntly said before last night's 132-105 Knicks rout at the Garden the Knicks president does not have the pieces to trade for 19-year-old Spanish point guard sensation Ricky Rubio, who's playing this season in Barcelona. With Walsh a few yards away, Kahn, prone to grandstanding, stood on the Garden sidelines and told reporters the chances of Rubio becoming a Knick anytime soon are almost nonexistent because of the Knicks' lack of prime-time assets. "Donnie and I have talked a grand total ..."
Knicks blow away Minnesota Timberwolves, 132-105
Comment
January 27
New York Daily News
 
"There were pockets of empty seats all through Madison Square Garden Tuesday night, which is the Knicks' punishment for losing by 50 points to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Someone else was going to pay for the Knicks suffering the worst home loss in franchise history. And that's where the Minnesota Timberwolves come in. The Knicks recovered well from Sunday's beat-down by taking their frustrations out on the Wolves, a team that would easily be the sorriest in the NBA if not for the New Jersey Nets. Come to think of it, how on Earth did the Nets lose twice to Minnesota? Tuesday night's result was never in doubt as the Knicks (18-26) scored the game's first 15 points and cruised to a ..."
Timberwolves rookie Jonny Flynn returns to Madison Square Garden
Comment
January 26
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The last time Timberwolves rookie point guard Jonny Flynn had a debut game in New York's Madison Square Garden, he never got a grip on his nerves. As a Syracuse freshman in 2007, Flynn missed all six of his shots, including five three-point attempts, in a Preseason NIT tournament game against Ohio State. For a kid from Niagara Falls, it seemed the bright lights of the "World's Greatest Arena" were too much, too soon. Flynn played seven more games in the Garden during his college career and hardly anyone remembers his star-struck performance against the Buckeyes. Flynn averaged 16 points and three assists in two other games at the Garden his freshman year and then 20 points and nine assists ..."
Trade rumors don't bother Big Al
Comment
January 26
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Vikings players on Sunday wore earplugs to block out the voices of 71,000 screaming fans inside the Superdome. Timberwolves center Al Jefferson vows he won't do the same to quiet the noise in these 23 days remaining before the NBA's trading deadline. "Don't need to," he said. Jefferson knows speculation will fly in these next three-plus weeks, perhaps even more so near this season's trading deadline than most others because of the alignment of franchises flush with approaching salary-cap space and those desperately looking to cut expenses. Earlier this month, Yahoo! Sports reported the Pacers had turned down the Wolves' offer of Jefferson for Danny Granger, a report Wolves boss David Kahn ..."
Reeling New York Knicks are set to play Timberwolves after worst home loss in team history
Comment
January 26
New York Daily News
 
"As kind as he's been to the Knicks, the NBA schedule-maker came through again, bringing Minnesota, the team with the second-worst record in the NBA, to the Garden Tuesday. But after suffering their worst home loss ever, by 50 points to a Mavericks team missing Jason Kidd, the Knicks would not have viewed any team as a relief, not even the Nets. "There are not too many teams we could have beaten, playing the way we did," team president Donnie Walsh said after practice Monday in Greenburgh. "No, not even the Nets. We've already proved that." That humiliating road loss to the Nets happened weeks before the Knicks' epic disgrace against Dallas, their sixth loss in the last eight games. "We ..."
Flynn psyched for return to scene of six-OT victory
Comment
January 25
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"When the Timberwolves' schedule was released last August, Jonny Flynn searched for one date before any other. "I had to see when we go to Madison Square Garden, first thing," the rookie said. "I've been looking forward to it ever since." Lots of NBA players anticipate their moment on the league's most famous court. But Flynn has already had several, most notably his 34-point performance in Syracuse's six-overtime victory over Connecticut in the Big East quarterfinals last March. "That 10-hour game, that put me on the national scene," Flynn said. "That game takes up a big memory block in my mind." He'll return on Tuesday night, when the Timberwolves' three-game road set continues against ..."
When the Wolves lose, they lose bigger than most
Comment
January 25
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Wolves' never-in-doubt loss to the Bucks on Saturday extended their road losing streak to seven, but more alarming was how they lost. Minnesota was outscored in all four quarters, surrendered 42 points in a dreary final period, and absorbed a 33-point defeat. And that's not even the unusual part; Minnesota has lost 10 games by more than 20 points, after all. But the 127-94 pasting by the Bucks moved the Timberwolves back into the NBA lead in a statistical category that says a lot about why they have only nine victories this season: It was the 11th time they have allowed 120 or more points, a mark that few teams approach. In fact, only the Suns (eight) and Warriors (10) have surrendered ..."
Walsh still has eyes on Rubio
Comment
January 25
New York Post
 
"When the Timberwolves visit the Garden tomorrow, they'll be without the 19-year-old floppy-haired Spanish point guard the Knicks still covet. Ricky Rubio, whom the Wolves drafted sixth, is playing in Spain this season, switching teams to FC Barcelona. That actually turned out well for the Knicks, who are still marking his progress. Knicks international scout Kevin Wilson, who's responsible for their pick of Danilo Gallinari, lives in Barcelona and the Regal Barcelona team is his hometown club. It has been well-documented Wilson is friends with the Rubio family and Ricky's parents would love to see the Timberwolves deal him to New York. Wilson is in town this week as the Knicks have their ..."
Suns' Amar'e Stoudemire drawing trade interest
Comment
January 25
Arizona Republic
 
"A league source said Golden State, Minnesota and Cleveland have shown interest in acquiring Suns power forward Amar'e Stoudemire. Major hang-ups in a possible deal are the Suns' need to get good value in return and the other team's need to feel secure in knowing it has a chance to keep Stoudemire, who can opt out of his contract this summer. Stoudemire has said he wants to play for a title contender but prefers to stay with the Suns, who met with his agent Thursday."
For encore, Bucks once again make Jefferson disappear
Comment
January 24
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Whatever the Bucks do to neutralize Al Jefferson, it's "nothing that everybody else hasn't done," Wolves coach Kurt Rambis said. Which makes it all the more spooky. Al Jefferson had his usual night against Milwaukee -- which is to say, a very unusual night for Al Jefferson -- on Saturday, scoring only nine points. Without the offensive potency of their leading scorer, the Wolves slogged to their worst loss ever to the Bucks, 127-94 in the Bradley Center. Andrew Bogut prevented the Wolves from feeding Jefferson inside and mostly prevented Minnesota's center from doing much when he did get the ball, holding him to a 4-for-11 night. "Bogut did a great job denying me the ball," Jefferson said. ..."
Cold-shooting Timberwolves routed by Bucks
Comment
January 24
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"About four minutes into Saturday night's game, things looked good for the Timberwolves, who connected on five of their first seven shots and held a 13-12 lead. Unfortunately for them, that was the high-water mark for the night. A Carlos Delfino three-pointer sparked a 14-0 run and the Milwaukee Bucks left Minnesota in the dust, cruising to a 127-94 rout at the Bradley Center. Playing their second game in as many nights, the Timberwolves failed to generate any sort of offensive rhythm, shooting at a 38.4 percent clip (33 for 86) and missing 11 of 13 three-point attempts. "Our guys aren't able to generate the energy and focus, especially after a couple of tough losses," coach Kurt Rambis ..."
Lightning strikes Timberwolves a second time as Hornets win at buzzer
Comment
January 23
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"This is one time Timberwolves players didn't want to hear anything about "the learning process." It's a phrase Wolves coach Kurt Rambis has used throughout the season while analyzing the team's struggles. The phrase was particularly painful Friday night, because Wolves players believe they should have known better than to get beat by the same play — in the same situation by the same team. In a replay of the New Orleans Hornets' Dec. 9 win at Target Center, the Wolves failed to defend an inbounds play in the final three seconds and it cost them again. This time it was forward James Posey who slipped past the Wolves' defense and sank a layup just before the final buzzer to lift New Orleans ..."
Wolves' try at comeback fails in familiar fashion
Comment
January 23
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Think it's easy coaching these danger-to-themselves Timberwolves? Listen to what Kurt Rambis emphasized in the team's final huddle Friday night. "We talked about them doing exactly what they did," Jonny Flynn said candidly after the Wolves' 96-94 loss to New Orleans. "We didn't want them to. So we talked about not letting them do that." Oops. By "that," Flynn meant allowing the Hornets to run the exact same play that beat Minnesota the last time the Hornets visited Target Center -- and with identical results. Chris Paul inbounded to James Posey with 3.1 seconds remaining in a tie game, and Posey drove to a wide-open basket, laying the ball home as the clock expired. "Two games, two layups ..."
Double-trouble good test for Flynn
Comment
January 23
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Jonny Flynn opened a two-day defensive midterm on Friday, facing Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul one day before matching up with Milwaukee rookie Brandon Jennings . It's a good test of how far Flynn has come as a defender in just half a season, his coach said. "Jonny's made huge strides. When we go back and look at games from the beginning of the year, he's much better," said Wolves coach Kurt Rambis . "Not only his on-ball defense but his off-ball awareness has improved. His understanding of our transition defense, too." Flynn was slow to shed some defensive habits he learned by playing zone defense almost exclusively at Syracuse, Rambis said, but he's adapted well to the ..."
Gameday: Wolves at Milwaukee
Comment
January 23
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Bucks' 8-3 start, which included a 15-point victory in Target Center, raised optimism in Milwaukee, but they fell to 9-21 after Friday's 101-96 loss in Toronto and sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. What has changed? Rookie Brandon Jennings, for one thing -- the point guard burst into the league by averaging 25.3 points in his first 11 games, but he is scoring only 13.4 points per game in January. Jennings, whom the Wolves held to just nine points, the rookie's lone single-digit scoring night in his first 26 games, will match up with Minnesota rookie Jonny Flynn, who torched him for 20 points in November. C Andrew Bogut is averaging a double-double (15.4 points, 10.5 ..."
Jefferson's style leads to Timberwolves baskets but not free throws
Comment
January 22
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Is Al Jefferson's footwork in the lane too good? The Timberwolves' center has become one of the NBA's more effective inside scorers, but his ability to shake defenders is limiting his trips to the free-throw line. Opposing players often fly past Jefferson after a pump fake or one of his patented pivot moves. The lack of contact translates into fewer free-throw attempts for the Wolves' leading scorer. "It's something I've been dealing with my whole career ... not being more consistent in getting to the line," Jefferson said. "It's not a big issue with me, but it would be a lot better for the team if I got to the line more." Jefferson had a combined three free-throw attempts in the Wolves' ..."