Nuggets at Timberwolves
The improving Minnesota Timberwolves will be without point guard Ricky Rubio when they host the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Rubio has been electric of late, helping the Timberwolves pick up four wins in a challenging six-game stretch, but will be away from the team for personal reasons and is expected to return Monday.
He had a hip issue cut short Thursday's game at the Los Angeles Clippers but Minnesota was able to survive without him and pick up a 104-101 win. Karl-Anthony Towns was the driving force with 37 points, 12 rebounds and five assists and Andrew Wiggins chipped in 27 points as Minnesota snapped a six-game road losing streak. One of those six setbacks came at Denver on Dec. 28, a 105-103 final that gave the Nuggets five consecutive wins in the series. Denver followed up that victory with five straight losses but it has rebounded to win four of its last five, including Saturday's 123-98 triumph over the injury-ravaged Clippers at home.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (18-24): Saturday's win did not come without a negative note, as point guard Emmanuel Mudiay left after 17 minutes with back soreness, missing all eight of his shots before the exit. Denver was up 14 at halftime and 24 after three quarters, allowing for plenty of rest for the starters on the front end of a back-to-back. Only Danilo Gallinari played more than 30 minutes and Nikola Jokic needed only 21 to finish with 19 points and 10 rebounds and record his 13th double-double in the last 20 games.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (15-28): Rookie Kris Dunn and second-year pro Tyus Jones will step up in Rubio's absence after the pair combined for nine points and eight assists off the bench in the win over the Clippers. Rubio has been rumored to be on the trading block and a report recently surfaced that suggested he could be on his way to Detroit, but Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters Saturday the trade would not happen. Wiggins has played at least 36 minutes in each game since the loss to the Nuggets in which he had a game-high 25 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Towns is averaging 28 points and 13.8 rebounds over his last six games.
2. Jokic is shooting 65.1 percent over a seven-game span.
3. Denver is 2-6 in the second half of back-to-backs.