Bulls at Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves will try to build upon their first road win of the season when they return home to take on the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. After dropping their first eight games on the road, the Timberwolves got past the Brooklyn Nets 112-102 on Friday behind another solid performance by rejuvenated guard Derrick Rose, who had 25 points.
"I love telling Derrick how good he is and how MVP Derrick (has) always been there and is still there," center Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters after his teammate shot 11-for-17 from the field in 29 minutes off the bench. Towns added 21 points and nine rebounds as Minnesota improved to 4-2 since trading away disgruntled swingman Jimmy Butler. The Bulls capped a 1-2 homestand with a 103-96 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday despite getting at least 23 points from three players. Chicago shot 37.2 percent, the fifth time in the last eight games it has finished under 40 percent.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FS North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE BULLS (5-14): Justin Holiday (27 points), Zach LaVine (24) and Jabari Parker (23) carried the load in Friday's loss while their teammates combined to go 7-for-33 from the floor. The shorthanded squad is nearing a return of key injured players Lauri Markkanen (elbow), Kris Dunn (knee) and Bobby Portis (knee), a trio that is sorely needed. "They just want to keep working hard until they get back. They don't need to rush it," LaVine told reporters. "They need to make sure everything is OK with them, their knee and their elbow. You can expect it, but you don't look into the future too much. You just try to worry about what you have right now. You can't wait to have your soldiers back."
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (8-11): Rose was the league MVP in 2011 while with the Bulls but has been hampered by injuries every season since then, only to burst out of the gate with a scoring average of 19.4 points -- 22 over the past eight contests. Newcomers Robert Covington and Dario Saric have had their moments since coming over from Philadelphia in the Butler deal, but they combined for just 10 points at Brooklyn. "Anytime you make a trade midseason that's part of the challenge because they've missed training camp and they know the NBA, but they have to learn their teammates," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "They're learning a new system, so for the most part I think they've done well."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Timberwolves PF Taj Gibson is 9-for-10 from the floor over his last two games and notched his second double-double in the win over the Nets.
2. Holiday also had a career-high 13 rebounds in Friday's loss.
3. The teams split a pair of meetings last season and Minnesota has won thee straight over Chicago at home.