Timberwolves at Nets
When the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets played less than two weeks ago, the only takeaway was the gruesome injury to Nets guard Caris LeVert. Brooklyn continues to try to come together without one of its top players and gets another crack at the Timberwolves when the teams meet in New York on Friday.
LeVert suffered a dislocated right foot in the 120-113 loss at Minnesota on Nov. 12, and even though the diagnosis was more positive than the injury appeared to be at the time, it transformed the Nets' outlook. They've gone 2-3 since that defeat after falling 119-113 at Dallas on Wednesday to finish a two-game road trip. Brooklyn now has a stretch in which it plays 13 of 17 at home and it begins with the Timberwolves, who completed a 3-2 homestand -- starting with the win over the Nets -- with Wednesday's 103-101 defeat to the Denver Nuggets. That setback left Minnesota with a solid 7-3 record at home but they are one of three NBA teams without a win on the road (0-8).
TV: Noon ET, FS North (Minnesota), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (7-11): Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 points and Derrick Rose added 20 off the bench on Wednesday for Minnesota, which was done in by a 35-18 third quarter in favor of the Nuggets. "We just didn’t play as hard, we didn't execute," Towns told reporters. "We didn't come out ready in the third quarter. They were ready, and that's what led to our demise." Towns had 25 points and 21 rebounds in the win over the Nets and averaged 20.2 points and 14.6 boards on the homestand while shooting 55.2 percent -- including 8-of-16 3-pointers.
ABOUT THE NETS (8-11): Allen Crabbe replaced LeVert in the starting lineup five games ago but hadn't provided much of an impact on the offensive end until Wednesday, when he hit seven 3-pointers en route to a season-high 27 points. "This has been a struggle," Crabbe -- who entered the game shooting 27.1 percent from the floor before hitting 10-of-16 shots -- told reporters. "The first 18 games, and in those 18 I think I was solid in two of those like tonight. So it feels good man. Like I told you guys the other night, shooter's gotta shoot. It'll click." Reserve forward Ed Davis helped out with 17 points in 20 minutes off the bench and the veteran is 12-for-12 from the field over the last two games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nets PG D'Angelo Russell had 31 points in the loss at Minnesota earlier this month.
2. Timberwolves SF Robert Covington is 15-for-30 from 3-point range in four games since coming over from Philadelphia in the Jimmy Butler trade.
3. Brooklyn won the only meeting at home last season 98-97 on a late basket by Spencer Dinwiddie.