Grizzlies at Timberwolves
The Memphis Grizzlies will try to run their Western Conference-leading winning streak to nine games when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. The Grizzlies have won 12 of 13 overall and remain the hottest team in the West, but only made up two games on the first-place Golden State Warriors in that span. Minnesota is coming off a victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday and could see the return of key reserve Shabazz Muhammad, who missed the last 14 games with a strained oblique.
The Timberwolves will be trying for their first two-game winning streak since last April, when they knocked off the Grizzlies and Heat in back-to-back games. Minnesota point guard Ricky Rubio, who’s set to play in his third game since missing 42 with an ankle injury, had seven assists in the first seven minutes against Miami before finishing with eight points and nine assists. Memphis could be shorthanded as Vince Carter missed the last game with a left foot injury and Tony Allen, who has been playing through hamstring and ankle issues, may take the opportunity to sit out against the last-place team in the West.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Memphis), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (37-12): Memphis center Marc Gasol scored a career-high 32 points in the season opener against Minnesota, which was a franchise record for points scored in the first game of the season. The 7-foot-1, seven-year veteran hasn’t kept up that pace and is coming off his lowest-scoring month of the season with a 15.8 average in January, but can still hurt teams in a variety of ways. He had 23 points, six rebounds and four assists in Wednesday’s 10-point victory at the Utah Jazz, the first time in seven games he bettered his 18.7 season scoring average.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (9-40): Minnesota will attempt to counter Gasol with Nikola Pekovic, who is two inches shorter than Gasol but about 30 pounds heavier. Pekovic is another member of the Timberwolves who has dealt with injury issues the last two years but if he, Rubio and Muhammad can get on the floor together for the first time in three months, they could make things interesting. Andrew Wiggins scored in single digits Wednesday for the first time since Dec. 21, so the rookie forward should be primed for a bounce-back game as well.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Grizzlies and Warriors are the only two Western Conference teams with winning records against teams with winning records.
2. Minnesota is shooting an NBA-best 82.3 percent from the free throw line since Jan. 1.
3. The Timberwolves have squandered 11 double-digit leads in losses this season.