Spurs vs. Timberwolves Previews

[duncan228]

Tuesday: Timberwolves (20-46) at Spurs (44-22)
Express-News

Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: FSNSW
Radio: WOAI-AM 1200, KCOR-AM 1350

STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - TIMBERWOLVES

PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 8th yr) - 3 Sebastian Telfair (6-0, 5th yr)
Parker has torched Wolves for average of 36 points in three games this season.

SG - 8 Roger Mason Jr. (6-5, 5th yr) - 33 Mike Miller (6-8, 9th yr)
Miller has been Minnesota’s high assist man in seven of past 11 games.

SF - 4 Michael Finley (6-7, 14th yr) - 8 Ryan Gomes (6-7, 4th yr)
Finley has been the Spurs’ hottest 3-point shooter during month of March.

PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 12th yr) - 5 Craig Smith (6-7, 3rd yr)
Speaking of assists, Duncan on pace to match career high mark (3.2 per game).

C - 15 Matt Bonner (6-10, 5th yr) - 42 Kevin Love (6-10, 1st yr)
With Al Jefferson out with torn ACL, it will be up to rookie Love to slow Duncan.

SPURS RESERVES

12 Bruce Bowen, F, 6-7, 13th yr
90 Drew Gooden, F, 6-10, 7th yr
11 Jacque Vaughn, G, 6-1, 12th yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 1st yr
7 Fabricio Oberto, C/F, 6-10, 4th yr
40 Kurt Thomas, C/F, 6-9, 14th yr
5 Ime Udoka, G/F, 6-5, 5th yr

TIMBERWOLVES RESERVES

1 Bobby Brown, G, 6-2, 1st yr
14 Brian Cardinal, F, 6-8, 9th yr
10 Rodney Carney, F, 6-7, 3rd yr
34 Jason Collins, C, 7-0, 8th yr
4 Randy Foye, G, 6-4, 3rd yr
12 Kevin Ollie, G, 6-2, 12th yr
23 Shelden Williams, F, 6-9, 3rd yr

COACHES

Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Timberwolves: Kevin McHale

INJURIES

Spurs: Ian Mahinmi (right ankle surgery) and Manu Ginobili (stress reaction, right ankle) are out.

Timberwolves: Corey Brewer (torn right knee ligament) and Al Jefferson (torn right knee ligament) are out.

PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS

Spurs: Ginobili, Mahinmi, Malik Hairston.

Timberwolves: Brewer, Jefferson, Mark Madsen.

NOTABLE

Tonight’s game marks the start of another four-game homestand for the Spurs, their second of the month. Boston, Houston and Golden State also will visit during this stretch. ..... Minnesota’s season went from bad to worse when Jefferson went down with a knee injury on Feb. 8. Wolves are 3-13 since. ..... Spurs have won eight in a row against Minnesota, including nine in a row at home. Last time the Wolves won in San Antonio was Jan. 14, 2004.

- Jeff McDonald

[duncan228]

Gameday: Wolves at San Antonio

Preview: Wolves guard Randy Foye and forward Rodney Carney both came through Saturday's victory over Charlotte healthy and practiced with the team Monday. Guard Kevin Ollie also returned to the team after spending much of last week in Connecticut to be with his ailing father-in-law. ... The Spurs played at vastly improved Oklahoma City on Monday night while the Wolves waited for them in San Antonio. ... They moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the Rockets for the Western Conference's second seed with Saturday's 88-85 victory at Houston. ... The Wolves have lost their past nine games in San Antonio and haven't won there since Jan. 14, 2004. The Spurs have won 13 of the past 14 meetings overall.

Players to watch: Spurs guard Tony Parker has been a Wolf-whacker all season. He scored a career-high 55 points in the season's fourth game, a double-overtime victory at Target Center, and he had 36 the last time the Wolves visited San Antonio, two days before Christmas. ... Foye had a career-high 16 rebounds as well as 26 points in that 99-93 loss on Dec. 23.

Numbers: Wolves forward Ryan Gomes has scored 20 or more points in 10 of the Wolves' past 14 games.

Injuries: Spurs guard Manu Ginobili has missed the past 15 games because of a leg stress reaction and is listed as out. Wolves forwards Al Jefferson and Corey Brewer are out for the season, each following surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament. Brewer accompanied the team to San Antonio on Monday; it's his first road trip since he was injured.

-Jerry Zgoda

[duncan228]

Minnesota (20-46) at San Antonio (44-22) Preview
Game info: 8:30 pm EDT Tue Mar 17, 2009
TV: KSTC, FSSW
By Matt Becker

The San Antonio Spurs let a potential victory slip away last time out against one of the league’s worst teams. Tim Duncan is not going to let that happen again.

The Southwest Division-leading Spurs look to bounce back from a surprising loss and win their ninth straight over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opener of a four-game homestand Tuesday night.

San Antonio (44-22) lost all momentum from Saturday’s key 88-85 win over Houston with Monday’s 78-76 loss to last-place Oklahoma City. The loss, coupled with the Rockets’ win over New Orleans, moved Houston within 2 1/2 games of the Spurs in the Southwest.

San Antonio had won nine of its previous 13 games and those four losses were all against teams likely playoff-bound - Cleveland, Portland, Dallas and the Los Angles Lakers.

On Monday, the Spurs appeared on their way to an easy win with a 17-point first-quarter lead but scored only 34 points in the second half and were held to a season low in points. The Thunder didn’t take their first lead until midway through the fourth, spoiling Gregg Popovich’s 1,000th game as coach.

“A game that we should have had and continued to add to our record, but we let one slip away,” said Duncan, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds Monday for his fifth straight double-double. “It is over now, it is gone. We just have to worry about tomorrow and trying to clean up tomorrow.”

While a loss to Oklahoma City is upsetting for a San Antonio expected to contend for a championship, a defeat to Minnesota (20-46) would be just as disappointing.

The Spurs have won eight straight over the Timberwolves since a 103-101 overtime loss on Jan. 3, 2007, and 13 of 14 meetings since the start of the 2005-06 season. San Antonio has also won nine straight at home in the series since a 100-93 loss on Jan. 14, 2004.

Tony Parker led the Spurs with 28 points Monday and is averaging 36.0 points in three games against the Timberwolves this season - his highest scoring average against any opponent. The three-time All-Star had a career-high 55 points in the Spurs’ 129-125 double-overtime victory in Minnesota on Nov. 5.

The Timberwolves have already been eliminated from the playoffs and are left to play the role of spoiler down the stretch.

On Saturday, they defeated a Charlotte team in contention for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference 108-100.

“Our mindset today was if we aren’t making the playoffs, then they’re not,” Randy Foye said.

Keeping the Spurs out of the playoffs is a very unlikely scenario but Minnesota can trim their lead atop the division.

The Timberwolves shot 53.1 percent Saturday to win for the second time in three games and just the fourth time in their last 23.

Rookie Kevin Love scored 22 points against the Bobcats after finishing with only six on 2-of-7 shooting in Friday’s 102-94 loss to New York.

Ryan Gomes added 21 points Saturday and is averaging 24.0 points in his last five games - 10.5 better than his season average. Gomes has done a solid job carrying Minnesota’s offense since Al Jefferson was lost for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL last month.

The Timberwolves open a three-game road trip Tuesday and play six of their next seven away from the Target Center.

Notes

Timberwolves:

G Randy Foye returned from a two-game absence with hip and ankle injuries. He scored nine points in a win over the Charlotte Bobcats. ... G Kevin Ollie missed his second straight game thanks to a family illness. ... F Kevin Love scored 22 points vs. the Bobcats, while Fs Rodney Carney and Ryan Gomes added 21 apiece.

Spurs:

Spurs G Manu Ginobili, who was initially expected to miss two to three weeks with a stress reaction in his right ankle, has been out a full month. ... Spurs coach Gregg Popovich coached his 1,000th NBA game Monday. ... San Antonio opens up a four-game homestand Tuesday.

Team Stat Leaders

Points

Al Jefferson Min 23.1
Tony Parker SA 21.2

Rebounds

Al Jefferson Min 11.0
Tim Duncan SA 10.7

Assists
Sebastian Telfair Min 4.6
Tony Parker SA 6.7

Team Comparison
Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10

Minnesota 20-46 4th Northwest / 11th West 99.0 103.4 Road 10-21 Won 1 2-8

San Antonio 44-22 1st Southwest / 2nd West 97.1 93.2 Home 23-9 Lost 1 5-5

[bdictjames]

Hopefully Spurs will blow this out, not get complacent, and look forward for the next game.

Please, let Timmy have a 30 and 15 game.

[Technique]

I bet Tony can't wait to play.

[Mugen]

i hope the twolves are ready to get killed...in the first quarter.

then randy foye starts going nuts on us and we let them back in the second. keep it close in the third and we have a little 8-2 run late in the 4th that pushes us to a close victory.

sounds about right.

[romain.star]

Hopefully Spurs will blow this out, not get complacent, and look forward for the next game.

Please, let Timmy have a 30 and 15 game.

heu... who is supposed to let timmy have a 30 and 15 game??

[Chieflion]

Please win this.

[AussieFanKurt]

Please win this.

i second that

[TDMVPDPOY]

if the spurs cant win this game, might as well dont bother turning up for the rest of the season....this is the wolves team without jeff

[024]

their PF is 6'7?? start gooden and duncan and just have them go crazy. bonner against craig smith is just a waste of a good mismatch.

[AussieFanKurt]

their PF is 6'7?? start gooden and duncan and just have them go crazy. bonner against craig smith is just a waste of a good mismatch.

thats a very valid point
but wont happen

[45 bank shot]

this is a must-win

[TheDarkSide.]

throw ginobili in there tonight

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Tue. Mar. 17
Minnesota @ San Antonio: D. Stafford, C. Blair, J. Capers

[duncan228]

Spurs take on Wolves in Alamo City

(Sports Network) - The Southwest Division-leading San Antonio Spurs return to the Alamo City Tuesday for the first of a four-game homestand against the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves.

San Antonio will be shooting for their ninth straight win over the lowly Wolves and a sweep of the season series between the two clubs. Minnesota last topped the Spurs in the Twin Cities on January 3, 2007, a 103-101 overtime triumph. The T-Wolves have also lost nine straight in San Antonio.

The Spurs hope to bounce back from a bad loss in Oklahoma City last night. Kevin Durant had 25 points in that one to help the Thunder edge San Antonio, 78-76.

Tony Parker had 28 points and seven assists while Tim Duncan donated 14 points and 12 boards for the Spurs, who have dropped two of their last three and saw their lead in the Southwest shrink to 1 1/2 games over Houston.

Yesterday's loss also put a damper on San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who coached in his 1,000th game for the Spurs. "Pop" is just the 24th coach in NBA history to pilot 1,000 games and has an imposing 676-324 record since taking over for the fired Bob Hill 18 games into the 1996-97 season.

San Antonio, which is 23-9 at the AT&T Center this season, will also face Boston, Houston and Golden State on its residency.

The Wolves, meanwhile, closed out a four-game homestand on a positive note Saturday when rookie star Kevin Love recorded a team-high 22 points while grabbing seven rebounds to pace Minnesota to a 108-100 win over the Bobcats.

Rodney Carney and Ryan Gomes each netted 21 points, while Craig Smith provided 15 for Minnesota, which has won two of three following a 10-game skid. The Timberwolves have already been eliminated from Western Conference playoff contention.

The Wolves, who are 10-21 on the road, will close out a three-game road trip by visiting New Orleans and Houston after tonight's game.

[Bartleby]

No a must win is a game 7...this is game 66 out of 82.

This is a win-or-there-will-be-a-total-meltdown-at-ST game.

[crc21209]

Going to the game tonight, so far 2-0 on the year when I go, hopefully that continues.....

[Thomas82]

Hopefully Spurs will blow this out, not get complacent, and look forward for the next game.

Please, let Timmy have a 30 and 15 game.

He is long overdue for one.

[Spursfan092120]

i hope the twolves are ready to get killed...in the first quarter.

then randy foye starts going nuts on us and we let them back in the second. keep it close in the third and we have a little 8-2 run late in the 4th that pushes us to a close victory.

sounds about right.

heu... who is supposed to let timmy have a 30 and 15 game??

if the spurs cant win this game, might as well dont bother turning up for the rest of the season....this is the wolves team without jeff

Settle down everyone..we lost one game...one game. We still have the 2 seed by a game and a half, and after the end of tonight it'll be by 2 games. We're not going to let two inferior teams beat us in a row..period.

[Thomas82]

Settle down everyone..we lost one game...one game. We still have the 2 seed by a game and a half, and after the end of tonight it'll be by 2 games. We're not going to let two inferior teams beat us in a row..period.

I hope not!!

[Brazil]

Another game to see:

Fin with 40 min
Gooden 12,2 min
Mase as PG shooting 3-10
Udoka 30 min
Bowen 5 sec
Tim struggling with his knees
G Hill in the fourth in D against a 7'0 guy
TP ups and downs 5-6 on the first, 1-6 on the two, 0-0 on the 3 and 8-10 on the 4
Some weird lineups, can't wait to see a udoka/oberto/finley/mason/hill

/reverse jinx post