Bucks at Timberwolves
The road has proven difficult for the Minnesota Timberwolves of late, but home is still mighty friendly. The Timberwolves will try to push their home winning streak to 11 straight when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
Minnesota dropped four of its last five and suffered a tough loss at Toronto on Tuesday in the second night of a back-to-back after falling at lowly Atlanta on Monday. The starting backcourt of Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague combined to miss seven of their 13 free throws in the setback, which dropped the Timberwolves to 12-16 on the road. "We've been a great free-throw shooting team all year," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "You're going to have some nights like that. We need to get back into the gym, practice and fix some things." The Bucks come into Minnesota hot with wins in their last four games -- a streak that began after the firing of coach Jason Kidd -- and took each of the last three by double digits.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (27-22): Milwaukee's surge is being led by All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who collected 31 points and 18 rebounds in a 107-95 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. "We've just got to stay down-to-earth," Antetokounmpo told reporters of the team's recent success. "Usually when we get games like this, we win four in a row, we relax a little bit. We've just got to stay down-to-earth as a team and keep playing hard, keeping doing what we do, what makes us good, what helps us win games and just go get another one." Antetokounmpo is averaging 33 points, 13.3 rebounds and seven assists in three games since sitting out two in a row to rest a sore knee.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (32-22): Minnesota went 1-8 on the road in January but did not lose at all at home and finished out the month 9-8 despite not having consecutive days off the entire month. "Sometimes it works out that way," Thibodeau said, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "We just went through it. Every team goes through theirs. You have to maximize your time. You have to find ways to win. I think we had a winning month, but we start a new one now. We have to make sure we're right and ready, from the beginning." The Timberwolves will play five of their seven games prior to the All-Star break at home.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bucks PF Jabari Parker, who sat out the last year while recovering from ACL surgery on his left knee, is expected to make his season debut on Friday.
2. Butler is averaging 23.3 points in three games since returning from a knee injury.
3. Minnesota C Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a season-low five rebounds in a 102-96 loss at Milwaukee on Dec. 28.