Knicks at Timberwolves
The New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves were both supposed to take steps forward this season and challenge for playoff spots, and both are battling inconsistency a month into the campaign. The Timberwolves will try to avoid a sixth loss in seven games when they host the Knicks on Wednesday.
Minnesota's main source of frustration is on the defensive end, where first-year coach Tom Thibodeau earned his stellar reputation, and Monday's 112-103 loss at home to the Utah Jazz was tough to shallow. "It’s one thing if you’re doing things correctly and you lose on a tough shot or someone makes a great play, that can happen to you," Thibodeau told reporters. "But when you’re outrebounded, you’re fouling recklessly, you’re not protecting the basket, your weak side has no awareness of what’s going on, it’s not acceptable." New York could use a tune-up on the defensive end after allowing the Oklahoma City Thunder to shoot 50 percent from the floor in a 112-103 setback on Monday, but a bounce-back on the other end of the floor from Carmelo Anthony might do the trick as well. The star forward is 11-of-44 from the floor in the last two games - both losses.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (8-9): New York point guard Derrick Rose scored a season-high 30 points in Monday's setback but was disappointed in the result. "Tell you the truth, nah," Rose told reporters. "Thirty don't mean nothing when you lose. And the way that we lost, it wasn't any grit, it wasn't any grind. We can't come out and play like that, period." Rose and company could use a little grit and grind from starting center Joakim Noah, who managed four rebounds in 26 minutes in the loss and pulled down three boards in 12 minutes at Charlotte in a loss on Saturday.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (5-12): Thibodeau is starting to use Tyrus Jones at point guard in the fourth quarter instead of starter Ricky Rubio or rookie Kris Dunn, and defense is the main reason. "Defense has to come every night," Rubio, who sat the entire fourth quarter in favor of Jones for the third straight game told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "It’s supposed to be the key for this team to take off, but it’s not right now." Rubio missed five games earlier this month with an elbow injury and posted double-digit assists once in the 10 games since his return.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Timberwolves G Zach LaVine is averaging 24.5 points in the last four games.
2. Knicks PF Kristaps Porzingis totaled 10 blocks in the last three contests.
3. New York took both meetings last season by an average of 6.5 points.