Timberwolves at Kings
Corey Brewer looks for an encore performance when he leads the Minnesota Timberwolves into a matchup at Sacramento on Sunday. Brewer erupted for a career-high and franchise record-tying 51 points in a 112-110 win over Houston on Friday night, pulling Minnesota within one win of finishing with at least a .500 record for the first time since 2004-05. Gorgui Dieng continued his solid play for the Timberwolves with 12 points - including the game-winner with 4.6 seconds left - and 20 rebounds.
The Kings finished their road schedule at 11-30 with a 117-101 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, their fifth straight defeat overall. DeMarcus Cousins had 32 points and 12 rebounds for his 52nd double-double of the season, trailing only Minnesota's Kevin Love (62) in the Western Conference. Love, who missed the win over the Rockets with a hyperextended elbow, had 26 points and 10 rebounds in a 104-102 win over the Kings at home on March 16, which gave the Timberwolves a 2-1 season series advantage.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN North Plus (Minnesota), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (40-39): Love is day-to-day with the elbow injury, one of several ailments Minnesota has endured this season. Oft-injured center Nikola Pekovic is among those that have spent considerable time on the sidelines, missing 25 of the last 35 games with a foot injury, but that has opened the door for the rookie Dieng, who has averaged 12 points and 12.3 rebounds in 12 starts. The first of those starts came in the previous meeting with Sacramento, in which Dieng had 12 points, 11 boards and five blocks.
ABOUT THE KINGS (27-53): Among the notable results of Saturday's loss was the third-quarter performance of rookie guard Ben McLemore, who had 14 points in the period. McLemore went scoreless in the other three quarters but played turnover-free basketball over the course of 32 minutes while scoring in double figures for the ninth time in 11 games. Fellow rookie guard Ray McCallum had eight points, eight assists and two blocks as the Kings continued to play without standout point guard Isaiah Thomas, who has missed 10 straight games with a quadriceps injury.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Sacramento PF Reggie Evans had 14 points and 14 rebounds Saturday.
2. Timberwolves SG Kevin Martin (foot) has missed five straight games and is listed as doubtful.
3. Cousins averaged 20.5 points and 14 rebounds in two meetings with Minnesota this season before sitting out the March 16 game with right knee tendinitis.