Timberwolves at Raptors
The Minnesota Timberwolves began life without Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio with a win on Friday night as Brandon Roy and Andrei Kirilenko got used to the NBA game again after a year away. The Toronto Raptors have started the season a lot like they finished the last one, suffering tight losses. The Timberwolves were strong on the defensive end with the new lineup and will try to make it a 2-0 start when they visit the Raptors on Sunday.
Love (broken hand) and Rubio (knee) will be out until at least December, leaving a heavy burden on Roy and Kirilenko to get up to speed quickly. Both scored 10 points in over 30 minutes on Friday while J.J. Barea carried the offense with 21 points off the bench. Toronto’s big addition is Kyle Lowry, who showed off his diverse skill set with 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists on Saturday. Lowry and DeMar DeRozen, who signed a four-year extension earlier in the week, are being counted on to get the team back to the playoffs.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSNO (Minnesota), TSN2 (Toronto), NBATV
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (1-0): Minnesota added several veterans in the offseason with the idea that they would complement the talented young core, but Love’s injury has forced Roy and Kirilenko to shoulder more of the burden. Derrick Williams, who played sparingly as a rookie last season, has jumped into the starting lineup and coach Rick Adelman plans on keeping him there at least until Love returns. The Timberwolves have a relatively easy schedule in November and are hoping to be hanging around by the time Love and Rubio return.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (0-2): Toronto would love to make a playoff push as well and is focusing on the defensive end in coach Dwane Casey’s second season. Former No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani, who was never known for his defense, has bulked up a bit to be able to hang around on the interior and Lowry has the speed and strength to stay in front of most of the point guards in the league. The scoring is more inconsistent. DeRozen is a talented offensive player but the extension was more about potential than performance, and Lowry and Landry Fields have never been go-to scorers.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Roy averaged 23.4 points and 6.5 assists in eight games against Toronto when he was with the Portland Trail Blazers.
2. Toronto won the lone meeting last season, 97-87, on Jan. 9, behind 31 points and 19 rebounds from Bargnani.
3. Minnesota shot 2-for-17 from 3-point range in its opener.