Category: Minnesota T-Wolves Blog

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Timberwolves sign Sundiata Gaines

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed free-agent guard Sundiata Gaines. To make room on the roster, the Wolves last night requested waivers on guard Maurice Ager.

Gaines, a 6-1 point guard, appeared in 32 games for the Utah Jazz in 2009-10, averaging 3.3 points and 1.2 assists in 6.8 minutes per game. He is probably best known for hitting a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Jazz a 97-96 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 14, 2010. It was the first NBA three-pointer of his career. Gaines also appeared in five playoff games with Utah in 2010, averaging 2.2 ppg.

Prior to joining the Jazz, Gaines played in 14 games with the Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League in 2009-10, averaging 23.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists.

Gaines played for the University of Georgia from 2004-07, averaging 11.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 3.9 apg in 123 career games. He finished his career as Georgia’s all-time leader in steals (259) and second in assists (476).

Mike Beasley scores 42 in win over Kings

Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:

michael beasley

On Wednesday, Beasley scored a career-high 42 points — 18 of them in the game’s first 10 minutes, 27 in the first half alone — on 17-for-31 shooting and on a bruised left hip that delivered the Wolves their first victory since the season’s second game.

“I had my popcorn ready, just watching the show,” Wolves injured point guard Jonny Flynn said as he sat in a joyous locker room afterward. “And that was definitely a show. Mike Beasley put on a show.”

Their nine-point victory followed Tuesday’s five-point loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles, ended a six-game losing streak and avenged a one-point, opening-night loss to the Kings at Target Center.

All this after they lost their first four road games by an average of 30 points.

It also was the Wolves’ first road victory since they won at Miami last February against a Heat team that included a guy named Beasley.

Beasley’s 42-point night puts him among such names in franchise history as Tony Campbell, Wally Szczerbiak, Isaiah Rider, Randy Breuer, Stephon Marbury, Al Jefferson and, of course, Kevin Garnett, all players who scored 40 or more points in a game.

Timberwolves suffer worst loss in franchise history

Jerry Zgodda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:

Tonight’s 42-point blowout loss set a franchise record, by one point over a 1996 game at Miami (Kevin Garnett’s rookie year) and last November’s unforgettable 146-105 loss at Golden State.

That’s the only Wolves record that fell, although a couple dropped for the Magic.

The 78 first-half points scored was one shy of the 79 the Wolves allowed Phoenix in the first half last March in Phoenix.

But it was the most a Magic team has ever scored in a first half, three more than the 75 they put on Sacramento in January 2009.

Dwight Howard, who got into foul trouble and left the game for a good stretch after just two minutes, set a franchise record for most blocks in a quarter, blocking six in the third.

Timberwolves exercise options on Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Kosta Koufos, Wayne Ellington and Jonny Flynn

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team has exercised the fourth-year option on forwards Michael Beasley and Kevin Love and center Kosta Koufos. The team has also exercised the third-year option for guards Wayne Ellington and Jonny Flynn.

Beasley, acquired this summer from Miami, has appeared in three games for the Wolves, averaging 14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. The second overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, Beasley owns career averages 14.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 162 games.

Love, the fifth overall pick in the 2008 draft by Memphis, was acquired by Minnesota on draft night and has played each of his 144 career games in a Wolves uniform. Love has career averages of 12.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, including 14.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game in three contests this season. Love has recorded double-doubles in each of his three games this season and in 68 of his 144 games overall.

Minnesota acquired Koufos this summer in the deal that sent Al Jefferson to Utah. Originally selected with the 23rd overall pick in the 2008 draft, Koufos has appeared in 87 career games, averaging 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.

The Timberwolves added Wayne Ellington with the 28th overall pick in the 2009 draft. Ellington has started each of the first three games for Minnesota this season, averaging 10.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. In 79 career games, Ellington has averaged 6.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting 42.2 percent from behind the arc.

Flynn, the sixth overall pick by Minnesota in last year’s draft, started each of the 81 games he appeared in as a rookie last season. He averaged 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a rookie before missing the season finale with a hip injury that ultimately required offseason surgery.

The Wolves will play LeBron James and the Miami Heat tomorrow night (Tuesday) in Miami. The game can be seen on WFTC My29 with tip-off at 6:30 p.m. This is the first of 12 Timberwolves games that will air on WFTC My29 this season.

Interesting Kevin McHale take on Respect for the Game techs

Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:

NBA officials say their market research shows fans have been turned off by players’ protests and are calling this officiating emphasis all about “Respect for the Game.”

Old-timer Kevin McHale doesn’t like that designation.

“Respect for the game is playing hard,” said McHale, the former Wolves boss who is now an analyst for TNT and NBA TV. “Respect for the game is going out there every single night and busting your hump. If you’re going to give technicals out of respect for the game, it should be for guys who are doggin’ it. Give a technical to a guy who’s walking up and down the floor, or the guy who’s not diving after the ball or going after the rebound and not boxing out, or who’s afraid to hit somebody to make some space down there.

“Give them a technical, then I’m all for it.”

Martell Webster has back surgery, may be out 4-6 weeks

Martell Webster has back surgery, may be out 4-6 weeks

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that guard/forward Martell Webster underwent a successful microdiscectomy this morning to alleviate his recurring back pain. The surgery was conducted at TRIA Orthopaedic Center by Dr. James Schwender of the Twin Cities Spine Center.

No timetable for Webster’s return has been established, but the typical recovery time for this procedure is 4-6 weeks.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor re-elected Chairman of NBA Board of Governors

Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has been unanimously re-elected as Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors during NBA league meetings held yesterday in New York.  Taylor was originally elected as Chairman on Oct. 23, 2008.

“Glen has been steadfast in his support of all league initiatives, bringing the owners together on important issues and lending to us his wisdom, his judgment and his enormous business expertise at the league office,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “We’re delighted that he has been unanimously re-elected.”

“I am honored to have been re-elected Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors,” said Taylor. “I look forward to continue to work with Commissioner Stern, his staff and my fellow owners in the growth of the NBA and the game of basketball both in the United States and around the world.”

Along with being Chairman and his membership on the Board of Governors, Taylor previously served as the Chairman of the NBA’s Audit Committee and has been a member of the Advisory/Finance, Planning and Labor Relations Committees.

Taylor, a former Minnesota state senator, has served as the majority owner of the Timberwolves since March 23, 1995. During his ownership, Taylor has overseen eight playoff teams including the 2004 edition of the Wolves who advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Today Taylor Corporation, based in North Mankato, Minn. includes more than 70 subsidiaries providing business and personal communications products, technologies and marketing services. Other enterprises owned by Taylor are in securities, agricultural, and medical fields.

Through personal involvement, Taylor has remained active in many community, civic and charitable causes. He has also has served on his church’s board of deacons and board of trustees and on the Mankato State University Foundation board of directors. Taylor and his family have provided financial assistance and participated in missions to Africa, Turkey, Egypt and Central America to support the Starkey Hearing Foundation and Common Hope.