Grizzlies at Timberwolves
The Memphis Grizzlies are locked in a tight three-team battle for the final two Western Conference playoff spots and have no margin for error as they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. The Grizzlies are battling the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns for a spot and certainly need a strong finish to ensure they won’t be the team on the outside when the season concludes. Memphis is 2-2 on a five-game road swing that ends against Minnesota.
The Timberwolves are out of the playoff race and the goal now is to end a stretch of eight consecutive losing seasons. Minnesota has lost five of its last seven games to fall one below the break-even mark and a Friday visit to Miami is next on the slate. After the road game against the Timberwolves, Memphis plays three of its next four at home. The playoff race figures to go right down to the final week and the Grizzlies end the season with a road game at Phoenix and a home contest against Dallas.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Memphis), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (44-30): With the race so tight, power forward Zach Randolph is ready for Memphis to make a strong surge. “We’ve got to keep playing,” Randolph said after Monday’s 94-92 victory over Denver. “Each game is an important game for us, so we’ve got to come out with a sense of urgency. A lot of teams are just freestyling – ain’t going postseason so they don’t care, so they’re playing freely. We’re playing for something so we’ve got to come out from the beginning.”
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (36-37): Center Nikola Pekovic’s frustrating ankle woes continued when he left Monday’s loss after just seven minutes of action. Pekovic missed 19 of 26 games due to bursitis in the ankle before recently returning, and suffering another injury in his third game back prompts the possibility of him being shut down for the rest of the season. “I don’t know how I feel about it,” Pekovic said afterward. “It’s not on me to deal about that. I just don’t know. It’s been a tough year for me.” The injuries have limited him to 54 games and he is averaging a career-best 17.4 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Memphis is 2-1 against the Timberwolves this season and has won 13 of the past 14 meetings.
2. Randolph has scored 20 or more points in four straight games and six of the past eight.
3. Rookie C Gorgui Dieng, who recently had five double-doubles during a six-game stretch, moves back into the starting five with Pekovic sidelined.