Trail Blazers at Timberwolves
The Portland Trail Blazers wrap up their four-game road trip Saturday when they pay a visit to the Northwest Division-rival Minnesota Timberwolves. Portland improved to 2-1 on its trek with an 86-84 triumph over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. The Trail Blazers never led by more than four points in a game that had 21 lead changes.
Minnesota is coming off a 101-97 triumph over the Nuggets in Denver on Thursday. Alexey Shved and Jose Barea scored 17 points apiece as the Timberwolves snapped their four-game road losing streak. Forward Kevin Love added 12 points before leaving in the third quarter with a sprained third metacarpal in his right hand and is questionable against Portland.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet Northwest (Portland), WFTC (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (17-15): Forward LaMarcus Aldridge made 5 of 7 free throws to climb into the top 10 on the franchise list. Aldridge has made 1,495 career free throws, putting him three ahead of Kevin Duckworth for 10th place in Portland history. The Trail Blazers entered Friday's game with an average of 17.7 points from their bench. The team's reserves totaled a mere nine points in the win over Memphis - five by Luke Babbitt and four by Will Barton.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (15-14): Minnesota lost the first meeting of the season with the Trail Blazers in Portland on Nov. 23. The Timberwolves are 26-65 in the all-time series, including a 15-29 mark at home. Minnesota went 7-5 last month for its first winning December since it posted an 8-6 record in 2004. Guard Ricky Rubio has missed three games with back spasms but could play Saturday. Shved has scored in double figures in each of his last six contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Trail Blazers have won nine of their last 12 games.
2. Minnesota is kicking off a brief two-game homestand before heading out on the road for four contests.
3. Portland G Wesley Matthews scored a team-high 21 points in Friday's win thanks to 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.
PREDICTION: Timberwolves 94, Trail Blazers 88.