Timberwolves at Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are taking advantage of a lengthy homestand to jump into the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. The Trail Blazers will try to improve to 4-1 on the seven-game homestand and earn their fourth straight win when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
Portland fell to Atlanta to open the stretch of home games but has since pulled off wins over the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Hornets by an average of 17 points to move to 7-2 in the last nine games overall. "That's five games in a row where we've had more than 20 assists," Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts told reporters while explaining the team’s improvement. "I like the way the ball has been moving and the opportunities we've had at the offensive end." The Timberwolves have dropped three in a row and continued to be plagued by their young team’s struggles to close out games. Minnesota battled Oklahoma City down the wire before falling 126-123 on Wednesday and was within one point at halftime in Utah on Friday before a poor third quarter doomed the team in a 103-90 setback.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN North (Minnesota), CSN Northwest (Portland)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (14-34): Zach LaVine has been on fire for Minnesota of late and went 9-of-12 from the field on Friday but was still disappointed that the team let up a 14-0 run in the third quarter to let the game slip away. “The third quarter is usually where we mess up,” LaVine told reporters. “That’s what killed us. Sometimes it only takes just two minutes (to cost us a game). We’ve got to get that under control.” LaVine is averaging 25 points on 31-of-44 shooting in the last three contests.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (22-26): Portland guard Damian Lillard was playing his first game since being passed over for a spot on the Western Conference All-Star team on Friday and delivered 22 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals. "I'm extremely disappointed with the vote," Stotts told reporters about the All-Star snub. "I won't go into specifics, but I thought (Lillard) deserved to be in for a few reasons and I was disappointed with some of the selections. But we gotta move on." Lillard is averaging 24.3 points and seven assists while guiding a team that lost four starters over the summer.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Timberwolves rookie C Karl-Anthony Towns scored a career-high 32 points on 13-of-17 shooting Friday.
2. Trail Blazers C Mason Plumlee is averaging 10.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists in the last five games.
3. Portland took the first two meetings this season – both in Minnesota – by an average of 5.5 points.