Timberwolves at Magic
The Minnesota Timberwolves are no longer in the postseason race but refuse to lay down over the final weeks of the season. The Timberwolves will attempt to run their winning streak to three straight when they visit the Orlando Magic on Saturday. Minnesota battled the Miami Heat through two overtimes before grabbing a 122-121 victory in the start of their two-game Florida road trip.
The Magic have dropped three straight and are also on the second night of a back-to-back after dropping a 91-80 decision at Charlotte. Orlando owns the third-worst record in the league and is down one of its best players in center Nikola Vucevic, who sat out Friday’s game with a sore Achilles and is day-to-day. The Timberwolves are missing their own standout center, Nikola Pekovic, who missed the last two games after leaving in the second quarter of Monday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with a recurrence of the ankle woes that have plagued him since the middle of January.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (38-37): Kevin Love went for 28 points and 11 rebounds in the win over the Heat while Chase Budinger scored a season-high 24 points on 7-of-9 shooting in 38 minutes off the bench. Budinger is one of several Minnesota players who have been in and out of the lineup all season due to various injuries but is finally putting in consistent minutes while scoring in double figures in four of the last six contests. The Timberwolves have a chance to do some more damage in the playoff race with games left against the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors left on the schedule.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (21-55): Orlando rookie Victor Oladipo continues to excel despite all the losing and scored a team-high 21 points in the loss on Friday. The 21-year-old guard has scored in double figures in 12 straight games and provides a strong young inside-outside tandem off the bench with forward Tobias Harris, who hit double figures for the sixth straight contest against the Bobcats. The Magic are kicking off a three-game homestand on Saturday and play four of their final six in their own building.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Timberwolves took the first meeting 120-115 in overtime in their season opener on Oct. 30.
2. Orlando G Arron Afflalo is struggling to 10 points on 29.8 percent shooting in the last five games.
3. Minnesota G Kevin Martin (foot) sat out Friday and is day-to-day.