Grizzlies at Timberwolves
The Memphis Grizzlies wrap up a season-long six-game road trip Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Memphis had its three-game win streak snapped with a 114-102 loss in Oklahoma City on Friday as its lead over the Thunder slipped to a half-game for sixth place in the Western Conference.
"It's disappointing," Grizzlies guard Mike Conley told reporters. "This is a big game for us, not just because it's OKC, but the schedule, the standings. These games matter for us. At the end of the year, you never know where you will be. We know OKC is going to be right there with us." Minnesota lost at Detroit 116-108 on Friday and kicks off a six-game homestand that concludes with a visit from the world champion Cleveland Cavaliers on Valentine's Day. The Timberwolves continue to get strong play from center Karl-Anthony Towns, who recorded his ninth-consecutive double-double Friday and 19th in his last 20 games with 24 points and 11 rebounds. The Grizzlies won two of the first three meetings this season - most recently a 93-71 triumph Nov. 19, holding the Timberwolves to a season low in points.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Memphis), FSN North Plus (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (30-22): Marc Gasol started slowly Friday by going 1-for-6 from the floor in the first quarter but was 13-for-18 the rest of the way - 12-for-15 in the third quarter - en route to scoring 31 points while dishing out eight assists. Gasol, though, contributed to Memphis' 3-for-19 performance from 3-point range by missing all four of his attempts with Conley going 1-for-5. Zach Randolph recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench Friday while Conley scored 18 points - one below his season average - for the second straight game after registering a career-high 38 versus Phoenix on Tuesday.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (19-31): Coach Tom Thibodeau realizes what it takes to win in the NBA, so he knows his best players - Towns, forward Andrew Wiggins and guard Zach LaVine - must play better defensively. "When you look at the teams that win in this league, they're strong on both sides of the ball," Thibodeau told reporters. "That's what we're striving toward. We know we have a lot of work to do and the tone has to be set by those three guys." LaVine suffered a knee contusion Friday and left after playing only minute in the fourth quarter, but not before scoring 24 points and shooting 9-for-13 from the floor.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Minnesota yielded more than 100 points for the ninth straight game Friday.
2. Memphis is 5-3 in its last eight games, holding opponents to 99 or fewer points in the wins and allowing 112 or more in the losses.
3. The Timberwolves haven't played back-to-back games since Jan. 6-7, when they lost at Washington 112-105 and fell to Utah 94-92 at home.