Jason Kidd came close to a triple-double as the Mavericks defeated a cold-shooting Timberwolves team. For Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points, 6 rebounds and almost nothing else. Jason Terry had 19 points and 4 steals off the bench. Josh Howard (just 6-of-15) had 14 points and little else. Jason Kidd (just 4-of-11) had 9 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals. For Minnesota, which shot just 1-of-12 from three-point range (though 22-of-24 free throws), Rashad McCants (6-of-8) had 18 points off the bench. Al Jefferson (just 5-of-15) had 14 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals. Mike Miller (just 4-of-11) had 13 points and little else.
Category: Minnesota T-Wolves Blog
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Oct 29: Wolves 98, Kings 96
The AP reports: Minnesota rookie Kevin Love had 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes and Al Jefferson had 21 points and 10 rebounds to help the Timberwolves to a 98-96 victory over the rebuilding Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night… John Salmons scored 21 of his 24 points in the second half and rookie Jason Thompson had 18 points and 10 boards for the Kings, who nearly rallied to steal the game in the closing minutes… Spencer Hawes had 12 points and 14 rebounds and Martin added 17 points on 5-for-19 shooting for the Kings.
Wolves exercise options on Brewer and Foye
The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team has exercised the third-year option on forward Corey Brewer and the fourth-year option on guard Randy Foye.
Brewer, a second-year forward from Florida, averaged 5.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game during his rookie campaign and ranked fourth among all NBA rookies with 0.96 steals per game. Brewer scored in double figures 18 times last season, and his 18 rebounds at Atlanta on Dec. 6 were the most by a Wolves rookie in 12 years.
Foye, the seventh overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft out of Villanova, appeared in 39 games for the Wolves last season after missing the season’s first three months while recovering from a knee injury. A member of the NBA All-Rookie Team in 2007, Foye averaged 13.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game last season.
NBA opening night rosters
The NBA’s opening day rosters are official, and now posted on InsideHoops.com.
This evening was the deadline for NBA teams to trim their rosters down to 15 players or less.
The 2008-09 regular season starts Tuesday, October 28. InsideHoops is your online basketball home. We’re pumping out more content this season than ever.
Enjoy the season!
Oct 23: Wolves 95, Bucks 76
The AP reports: Kevin Love had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Al Jefferson added 19 points to lead Minnesota to a 95-76 exhibition victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night… Rashad McCants had 15 points, including a stretch of 10 straight late in the fourth quarter, for Minnesota. Randy Foye scored eight third-quarter points after going scoreless and missing all four of his shots in the first half. Center Dan Gadzuric led the Bucks with 13 points, and Luke Ridnour added 12 points and seven assists.
Wolves waive three players
The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has requested waivers on guard Blake Ahearn, forward Chris Richard and center David Harrison. The preseason roster now stands at 15 players.
Ahearn, signed as a free agent on Sept. 29, appeared in five preseason games for the Wolves, averaging 7.8 points and 1.2 assists in 11.6 minutes per game.
Minnesota selected Richard in the second round (41st overall pick) of the 2007 NBA Draft. The Florida alum appeared in five games this preseason, averaging 1.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game. In his rookie season with the Wolves, Richard appeared in 52 games, averaging 1.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
Harrison, signed as a free agent on Oct. 9, has been sidelined throughout the preseason with a strained right calf.
Oct 22: Bulls 85, Wolves 75
The AP reports: Larry Hughes dislocated his right shoulder in the third quarter of the Bulls’ 85-75 preseason victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. He joins Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas and Michael Ruffin on the sidelines… Derrick Rose started with Hughes in the backcourt against the Timberwolves and finished with 17 points, six assists and five rebounds… Al Jefferson and Rashad McCants both scored 19 points, with McCants tallying 11 straight in the third quarter to help the Timberwolves claw within four after trailing by double digits most of the game.
Oct 19: Wolves 111, Nuggets 107
The AP reports: Kevin Ollie made four free throws in the final 16 seconds to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 111-107 preseason victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Ryan Gomes scored 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field for the Timberwolves (5-1). Mike Miller had 17 points, Al Jefferson added 15, Craig Smith 13 and Randy Foye 12. Foye also had 15 assists… Anthony Carter led Denver (4-1) with 17 points, Carmelo Anthony added 15, J.R. Smith 14, Linas Kleiza 13, Kenyon Martin 12 and Nene 10. Kleiza shot 11-for-12 on free throws.
Oct 16: Wolves 90, Raptors 86
The AP reports: Ryan Gomes scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, and Blake Ahearn added 15 points to help the Timberwolves beat the Toronto Raptors 90-86 on Thursday night… Rodney Carney and Randy Foye each had 13 points, and Al Jefferson had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves, 4-1 in exhibition play… Andrea Bargnani led Toronto (3-2) with 22 points. Joey Graham added 12, and Kris Humphries had 10. Chris Bosh had 10 points in 21 minutes, and Jermaine O’Neal was held to four points in 15 minutes.
T-Wolves today
LAST NIGHT’S GAME: Wolves 96, Bulls 86
The Timberwolves used a balanced attack and relentless defensive effort to rally from an early 19-point deficit in Chicago last night, ultimately pulling away for a 96-86 victory. With the win, the Wolves improved to 3-1 on the preseason. The Wolves started the game flat, missing seven of their first eight shots and falling behind by double-digits just five minutes into the game. Another 9-0 Chicago run pushed the margin to as many as 19 late in the quarter, and the Bulls held a 30-13 lead after one. With four reserves in the game to start the second quarter, however, the Wolves rallied back, using a 14-1 run midway through the frame to pull within four, and they ultimately took a narrow 46-45 lead into the intermission. After trading baskets for much of the third quarter, Minnesota took the lead for good on a Randy Foye jump shot with 4:42 to play in the third and held off a late Bulls rally for the win. After the sluggish first quarter, the Wolves outscored the Bulls 83-56 over the final three quarters while limiting Chicago to just 21-for-51 shooting and forcing 16 turnovers in that span. Corey Brewer led the Wolves with 15 points and nine rebounds, and the balanced attack featured six different players in double figures. Kevin Ollie helped key the rally by pitching in eight points and three assists on a perfect 2-for-2 from the field and 4-for-4 from the line in a reserve roll. Drew Gooden led the Bulls with 20 points, while Luol Deng added 15 in a game-high 45 minutes.
NEXT WOLVES GAME: Wolves at Toronto Raptors – Thursday, Oct. 16 – 6:00 PM – Air Canada Centre
Minnesota will look to continue its solid preseason play in Toronto on Thursday as they face a new-look Raptors team now featuring Jermaine O’Neal. The Raptors swept the two-game series with the Wolves last summer and have now won eight straight regular season meetings with the Wolves dating back to the 2004 season. The teams have met on five previous occasions in the preseason, with the Wolves winning twice.
BALANCING ACT: The Timberwolves’ 3-1 mark through the first half of the exhibition season has been fueled by contributions from top to bottom on the roster. While all 15 players who have seen action have played fewer than 30 minutes per game, six different Wolves are averaging at least 10 points per game, led by Rashad McCants’ 14.3. Here’s a look at the Wolves’ scoring leaders through four preseason games:
Rashad McCants (14.3 ppg)
Corey Brewer (14.0 ppg)
Al Jefferson (13.5 ppg)
Randy Foye (10.5 ppg)
Kevin Love (10.5 ppg)
Blake Ahearn (10.5 ppg)