Timberwolves at Bobcats
THE STORY: The Minnesota Timberwolves are struggling to stay in the race in the Western Conference. The Charlotte Bobcats have been out of it since the first week. Kevin Love is doing all he can for the Timberwolves but is not getting much help from the rest of his teammates. Some bad luck with injuries has not helped. The Bobcats are playing out the string, evaluating players on the current roster and preparing for a lottery trip.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSNO (Minnesota), SSO (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (24-27): Love is averaging 36.3 points over the last three games but Minnesota has only one win in that span. The Timberwolves had edged into the final playoff spot in the West before rookie point guard Ricky Rubio went down but have now dropped eight of their last 11 to fall 3 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Denver. Love went for 28 and 11 rebounds on Tuesday but Minnesota put only two other players in double figures in a 93-86 loss at Memphis. In addition to Rubio, center Nikola Pekovic (ankle) and guard J.J. Barea (thigh) have been out. The Timberwolves beat Charlotte, 102-90, at home on Feb. 15 behind 30 and 18 from Love.
ABOUT THE BOBCATS (7-40): Charlotte’s latest losing streak reached four games on Monday with a 102-95 home loss to the Boston Celtics. The NBA’s lowest-scoring team at 87.6 points, the Bobcats have not been giving themselves a chance with their play on the defensive end. During their latest slide, they have surrendered an average of 105.3 points. Each of Charlotte’s last seven opponents has reached the century mark. The Bobcats are not only experimenting on the court but on the sidelines, with coach Paul Silas letting his son and top assistant Stephen handle some of the in-game responsibilities.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Charlotte’s reserves scored 59 points on Monday, led by 18 from backup center Byron Mullens.
2. The Bobcats had taken four straight in the series before falling last month.
3. Love has averaged 18.7 points and 10.4 rebounds in seven games against Charlotte.