Timberwolves at Nets
The Brooklyn Nets can match a franchise record with their 13th consecutive home victory when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. The streak has helped the Nets surge within reach of home-court advantage in a first-round series, as they're 1 1/2 games behind fourth-place Chicago in the Eastern Conference. The Timberwolves technically are still alive in the Western Conference race, but the window is closing quickly — they're 6 1/2 games behind eighth-place Memphis with 11 to play.
Brooklyn's 28-12 mark since Jan. 1 is the best in the East over that span, and it's owed in large part to the Nets having won 19 of their last 21 at Barclays Center. "It sure beats us getting booed earlier in the year," forward Paul Pierce told reporters. "We're playing well here. We feel comfortable on our home turf." The Timberwolves have won two straight road games over the Nets and have claimed seven of nine overall in the series.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (36-35): Minnesota has kept its slim playoff hopes alive with two straight wins, including a 143-107 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday in which it set a franchise scoring record. Kevin Love (22 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) and Nikola Pekovic (26 points) led the way against the Lakers and figure to be a handful for a Nets team that lacks strong post players. Pekovic's return from a six-game absence with an ankle injury means less playing time for rookie Gorgui Dieng, who has averaged 12.9 points and 13.3 rebounds over the past seven games.
ABOUT THE NETS (38-33): Brooklyn's defensive prowess has been the key to its most successful stretch at home since 13-game streaks in 2001-02 and 2002-03, but defending the post is not its strength — a potential problem against the bruising Timberwolves. The Nets are even thinner in the frontcourt than usual at the moment without forwards Kevin Garnett, who has been out all month with back spasms, and Andrei Kirilenko, who will miss his fourth straight game with an ankle injury. That might mean the Nets need most of their scoring to come from the perimeter via Pierce, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nets have held opponents under 100 points in 11 straight home games, allowing 91.6 points per game during that span.
2. Timberwolves PG Ricky Rubio (175) has tied Tyrone Corbin's franchise record for steals set during the 1989-90 campaign.
3. Brooklyn has never trailed in the second half in 10 of the 12 games during the home winning streak.