Timberwolves at Nets
The Brooklyn Nets look like a different team with Brook Lopez in the starting lineup, and they’ll need his big body Wednesday when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves. Lopez made his season debut Monday against the severely shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder after missing the first two games with a sprained right foot, the same one he broke last December. He finished with 18 points and six rebounds in the 116-85 victory.
The Timberwolves don’t have Kevin Love manning the key any longer but Nikola Pekovic is still a tough cover for any opposing center. He outplayed Andre Drummond of the Pistons and Joakim Noah of the Bulls in each of the last two games, and the three days off between games should benefit the ankle bursitis that’s bothered him since January. Minnesota is also expected to have power forward Thaddeus Young available after he passed his concussions tests and returned to practice after a scary collision with Chicago guard Jimmy Butler on Saturday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), YES Network (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (1-2): Kevin Martin is hoping to find a home after bouncing around the league the last four seasons. He sat out the season-opening loss to the Grizzlies with an ankle injury, had a sub-par performance against the Pistons the following night, but then exploded for 33 points on 9-for-14 shooting against the Bulls. After which, he was fined $15,000 by the league for an inappropriate gesture following a 3-pointer.
ABOUT THE NETS (2-1): A key reason for Brooklyn’s success the last two games has been limiting its turnovers. The Nets had 21 turnovers in their season-opening blowout loss to the Celtics, but trimmed that number to eight in the wins against the Pistons and Thunder. Brooklyn will have its hands full against Minnesota point guard Ricky Rubio and Young, who averaged the second and third-most steals in the league last season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Rubio, Tim Hardaway, Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson are the only NBA players to average at least seven assists and two steals in each of their first three seasons.
2. Rubio finished sixth in the NBA in assists last season but delivered more passes that led directly to shooting fouls that any other player in the league.
3. Nets reserve SG Alan Anderson is 5-for-5 from 3-point range in the last two games.
PREDICTION: Nets 97, Timberwolves 92