Timberwolves at Pelicans
The Minnesota Timberwolves hope to have All-Star Kevin Love back in the lineup when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. Love (soreness) sat out Wednesday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder after taking a hard fall the previous night, and the Timberwolves could not make up the difference on the inside with Nikola Pekovic (ankle) missing as well. The Pelicans have the force on the interior to take advantage of the injuries with Anthony Davis.
Love put up 30 points and 14 rebounds in an 88-77 home win over New Orleans on Jan. 29, but the Pelicans have won two of three to begin February and are attempting to close out a strong homestand. Davis missed the meeting in Minnesota with a finger issue and showed no ill effects from the injury while putting up 22.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in the last three games. “I’m always telling my guys, ‘Everybody has written you guys off, so what do you have to lose?’” Pelicans coach Monty Williams told reporters. “’Just go out there and play. I’ve got your back either way.’”
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (24-25): Minnesota is still hoping to get back into the playoff hunt in the Western Conference, but the injury to Pekovic slowed the momentum the team had gained in late January. The Timberwolves have dropped three of the last four to fall back below .500 but can look forward to a four-game homestand once they finish up with New Orleans. Love is probable to return Friday and has been a monster in Pekovic’s absence, stepping up his game with averages of 33 points and 16.5 rebounds over his last four contests, beginning with the effort against the Pelicans.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (21-27): New Orleans went into a tailspin when Jrue Holiday (leg) and Ryan Anderson (neck) went down but have won five of the last seven games behind Davis and a host of different contributors. Brian Roberts went for 19 points in a 105-100 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday and Anthony Morrow is stepping up into Anderson’s role as a 3-point specialist by going 6-for-9 from beyond the arc in the last four contests. Morrow played 27 minutes Wednesday — his longest stretch since Nov. 10 — and scored 16 points to follow up a 20-point outburst in the previous game.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Minnesota has taken four straight in the series, including two in January.
2. New Orleans G Tyreke Evans (ribs) sat out Wednesday and is day-to-day.
3. Timberwolves G Ricky Rubio failed to reach double figures in five straight games before breaking out with 19 points Wednesday.