Grizzlies rally to shock Timberwolves in NBA playoffs

The Memphis Grizzlies clawed back from a 26-point deficit to stun the Minnesota Timberwolves, 104-95, on Thursday and take a 2-1 lead in their NBA playoff series.

Down 26 points in the second quarter and 25 with 3:10 left in the third, the Grizzlies held their nerve in Minneapolis, where they out-scored the Timberwolves, 37-12, in the fourth quarter to match the fourth-largest comeback in NBA playoff history.

Desmond Bane scored 26 points and Brandon Clarke added 20 -- 12 of them in the fourth quarter -- off the bench for Memphis.

Ja Morant connected on just five of 18 shots from the field but put together a triple-double of 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Memphis, who used a 21-0 fourth-quarter scoring run to turn the tables on the Timberwolves.

"Everybody stayed with it, stayed resilient throughout the whole entire game," Bane said. "Whether we were up, down, whatever -- it was enough to get it done."

Minnesota led, 47-21, with 10:28 left in the second quarter when the Grizzlies mounted their first charge, trimming the deficit to seven points at halftime.

The Timberwolves regained the upper hand with a quick start to the third quarter, taking a 73-50 lead on Jaden McDaniels' three-pointer with 4:28 left in the period.

D'Angelo Russell's three-pointer with 3:10 left in the third put Minnesota up 79-54, and despite the Grizzlies' scoring surge to end the period they trailed by 16 going into the fourth.

Bane drilled a three-pointer with 8:33 to play to cap a 21-0 scoring run that tied the game at 83-83.

Tyus Jones drained a three-pointer to put Memphis up for the first time, 86-85, and they didn't trail again.

"It was just effort and fighting," Clarke said. "We were down by, like 25, it was looking bad. But our team has always found a way this year."

Russell led the Timberwolves with 22 points, but he missed all three of his shots from the field in a scoreless fourth and teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, limited by foul trouble and aggressive defense from the Grizzlies, was held to just eight points.

"It's an emotional victory -- coming from being down a lot," Bane said, but he cautioned that there was still a lot of work to do in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.

"We've got to keep our heads. It's first to four."

Brunson powers Mavs

In Salt Lake City, the Dallas Mavericks took a 2-1 lead over the Utah Jazz in their series with a 126-118 victory.

Jalen Brunson shook off a sore back to score 31 points for Dallas.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 of his 20 in the fourth quarter and Maxi Kleber added 17 as the Mavericks held off the Jazz despite again playing without injured star Luka Doncic, who has missed all three games of the series so far with a calf strain but appears set to return for game four.

Donovan Mitchell scored 28 of his 32 points in the second half for Utah, who cut the deficit to one point on Mike Conley's three-pointer with 6:42 left in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get in front.

"The most important thing was sticking together," said Brunson, who appeared to hurt his back in the second quarter after Royce O'Neale collided with him.

He briefly left the court but returned to complete another big game.

"This is a tough place to play," Brunson said. "Their fans are great for them. When they had their runs, we didn't fold."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Karl-Anthony Towns scores 28 points in smooth win over Lakers

Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 10 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away for a 110-92 win over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night in Minneapolis.

D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley scored 17 apiece for Minnesota, which won its third game in a row. Jaylen Nowell finished with 14 points off the bench.

Isaiah Thomas led the Lakers with 19 points in his season debut. LeBron James scored 18 points and Anthony Davis had nine before limping to the locker room in the third quarter with a left knee injury.

Davis sustained the injury shortly after taking a pass from James. Timberwolves defender Jaden McDaniels lost his balance and tumbled directly into the front of Davis' knee as his leg was planted.

The Lakers said Davis had a left knee contusion and would undergo additional evaluation in Chicago on Saturday.

Davis' absence was felt on the court, where the Timberwolves built an 85-65 advantage by the end of the third quarter.

The Timberwolves held a 61-58 lead with 7:40 remaining in the third quarter, but they surged ahead by scoring 11 straight points and finishing the frame on a 24-7 run.

Beasley hit back-to-back 3-pointers during the run. Frustrations boiled over for the Lakers late in the third quarter, with coach Frank Vogel and veteran Carmelo Anthony each drawing a technical foul.

Minnesota led 54-45 at the half. Towns had 23 points to lead all players.

The Timberwolves jumped to an 8-2 lead after the opening tipoff -- and Towns had all eight of his team's points. He converted a pair of three-point plays and sank an 11-foot hook shot over Davis.

In the second quarter, the Lakers pulled within 42-39 with 2:15 to go. But their deficit expanded as the Timberwolves scored 12 of the final 18 points before halftime.

Both teams dealt with roster challenges brought on by COVID-19.

The Timberwolves played without Anthony Edwards and Taurean Prince, both of whom were in health and safety protocols. The Lakers did not have Malik Monk, Talen Horton-Tucker, Avery Bradley, Dwight Howard or Austin Reaves available.

-reuters

NBA: Jayson Tatum's career-high 53 carries Celtics to OT thriller

Jayson Tatum scored 35 of his career-high 53 points in the second half as the Boston Celtics erased a 17-point deficit to outlast the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 145-136 in overtime Friday night.

Tatum shot 16-of-25 from the field, had six 3-pointers and added 10 rebounds as the Celtics won for the fourth time in five games. Jaylen Brown scored 26 points and Marcus Smart 24 points and eight assists.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 30 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists to lead the league-worst Timberwolves, who rallied from down 11 with 2:51 left in regulation to force overtime. 

D'Angelo Russell scored 26 with eight assists and Anthony Edwards had 24 points.

Boston led 122-111 before 3-pointers from Towns and Russell helped Minnesota get within three. 

The visitors knotted the score at 124 on another Russell trey that banked in with 9.7 seconds remaining, and Tatum missed a chance at a game-winner at the buzzer.

Brown and Kemba Walker drained back-to-back threes to put the Celtics up 132-127 in the extra period. 

Walker hit again from deep, and three free throws from Tatum had Boston ahead 138-132. Minnesota got no closer than five the rest of the way.

The Timberwolves began the third quarter on a 13-5 run for their largest lead of the game at 79-62. 

Trailing 87-74, the Celtics got within two following a 16-5 stretch, during which Tatum scored 13 straight points. The Celtics entered the fourth down 97-92.

Boston grabbed its first lead since 7:35 of the first when Walker hit a pair of free throws for a 101-100 margin with 8:21 to go. 

Payton Pritchard and Tatum followed with threes, and the Celtics stretched their advantage to seven.

The Timberwolves led 66-57 after a disastrous first half for the Celtics. Boston turned the ball over 12 times, and Minnesota took advantage, shooting 26-of-47 (55.3 percent) from the field.

The Timberwolves were up 26-22 with 2:09 remaining in the first before ending the quarter on a 13-3 run. 

The Celtics didn't get back within single digits until Tatum hit a 3-pointer with 7:58 left in the half to trim the margin to 49-40.

-reuters

NBA: Domantas Sabonis' triple-double guides Pacers to OT win over Wolves

Domantas Sabonis recorded 36 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Indiana Pacers rallied for a 134-128 overtime win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday in Minneapolis.

Malcolm Brogdon added 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Pacers, who won for the third time in four games.

After giving up 40 second-quarter points, Indiana trailed for most of the second half.

Malik Beasley came off Minnesota's bench to score a team-high 31 points. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds while Ricky Rubio added 20 points and 13 assists, but the Timberwolves still lost for the sixth time in seven games.

A 10-4 Minnesota run spanning 1:23 gave the Timberwolves a 121-116 lead with 58.9 seconds left after Towns put in a 3-pointer and a basket in the paint, both off Rubio assists. 

However, a Jeremy Lamb 3-pointer, a Sabonis rebound and then a pair of Sabonis free throws forced overtime.

Minnesota rookie Anthony Edwards had a look at the would-be game-winner but missed his 3-point attempt at the buzzer. Edwards finished with eight points on 3-of-15 shooting.

Brogdon and Sabonis scored the first five points of the extra frame, then Brogdon made the last of his six 3-pointers with 9.8 seconds remaining to seal the win.

Brogdon went 6-of-7 from beyond the arc to lead Indiana on a 13-of-26 night from long range. Lamb scored 18 points off the Pacers' bench, and reserve Aaron Holiday added 15 points.

Indiana's Justin Holiday contributed 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Timberwolves got 18 points from Naz Reid and 11 points from Jaden McDaniels.

The Pacers shot 50.5 percent from the floor while the Timberwolves hit just 42.1 percent of their field-goal attempts, and Indiana had a 51-44 edge in rebounding. Minnesota made just 15 of 40 attempts from 3-point range.

-reuters

NBA: LeBron James leads Lakers past Timberwolves

LeBron James totaled 30 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 112-104 road victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

The Lakers, one of the best road teams in the league this season, won for the 13th time in 16 games away from L.A. and prevailed for the eighth time in their past nine games overall.

Playing without Anthony Davis, who is expected to miss multiple weeks after straining his right Achilles, the Lakers trailed 81-77 with 1:56 left in the third quarter.

James sparked a 26-8 surge that helped the Lakers open up a 14-point lead in the final quarter and eventually hold on for the victory.

Kyle Kuzma (seven points) started again with Davis out, but it was Montrezl Harrell who was clutch off the bench with 17 points and six rebounds. and Marc Gasol (11 points) on the defensive end limiting Karl-Anthony Towns to only 15 points and six rebounds.

Towns was averaging 21 points over his first three games back since returning from a 13-game absence due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Dennis Schroder also delivered on the offensive end shooting 9-for-15 and finishing with 24 points. The Lakers made 11-of-26 three-point attempts (42.3 percent).

But Minnesota was sharp from long distance as well, connecting on 16-of-34 attempts (47.1 percent). Rookie Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Jordan McLaughlin and Ricky Rubio each finished with 13 points, and Naz Reid had 10 points.

But Malik Beasley struggled from the field shooting 4-of-15 and finishing with only 11 points after averaging 24.6 points per game over his previous seven.

Things got worse on the injury front for the Timberwolves on Tuesday.

According to ESPN, Minnesota is expected to be without guard D'Angelo Russell for the next 4-6 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Russell is averaging 19.3 points and 5.1 assists in 20 games this season.

-reuters-

Wolves top Rockets 121-105 in Game 3, cut series lead to 2-1

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota’s slow-to-develop, up-and-down defense has finally started to shine, against this high-octane Houston team no less.

There’s been no wait quite like the one for a win by the Timberwolves in the playoffs, though.

Jimmy Butler hit four 3-pointers among his 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns snapped back from a bad start to the series with 18 points and 16 rebounds, leading the Timberwolves past the Rockets 121-105 in Game 3 on Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) for their first postseason victory in 14 years.

“This city deserves being in the playoffs a little bit longer,” Butler said. “We’ll see what we have. But as long as we guard, as long as we defend, we’ll put ourselves in a good enough position to win.”

Jeff Teague scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins pitched in 20 points with another four 3-pointers, helping the Timberwolves match the NBA’s best 3-point shooting team with 15 makes apiece from long range. Minnesota took 27; Houston launched 41.

“I tell everybody all the time, as long as you’re in rhythm, no matter if somebody’s in front of you or not, it’s a good shot for you because we think that you can make that,” Butler said after the Wolves shot 50 percent overall from the floor.

Not to be left out was Derrick Rose and his 17 points off the bench, including 10 points in nine minutes before halftime. The Wolves closed the third quarter with a 26-14 run and produced spurts of 15-3 and 11-2 in the final period, perfecting their plan to play at a faster pace.

“We’ve got to do a better job of imposing our will at the beginning of the game,” said James Harden, who led the Rockets with 29 points.

The Rockets made four 3-pointers on their last seven possessions of the first half to turn an 11-point deficit to just one in less than 3½ minutes up until the break. Butler twisted his left ankle during that stretch, causing him to clutch his foot in pain and create some brief anxiety in the arena, but he didn’t require, or at least accept, any medical attention. There was no hint that he was hurt in the second half.
“He’s the heart and soul,” said Teague, who made three 3-pointers himself. “When he’s out there competing, it rubs off on everybody.”

Taj Gibson hounded Harden and forced an airballed 3-pointer, prompting the apex of the noise throughout the night with the Wolves ahead 77-70. Towns powered his way past Ryan Anderson for a layup and a three-point play with 1:57 left in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 10 points, and he flexed his biceps to the crowd after the whistle as he walked like King Kong to the corner of the court in celebration. There was no letdown in the fourth quarter, either.

“Give them a lot of credit. A lot of their 3s were butt naked, too. We were giving them uncontested 3s, and you know we’ve got to be better,” said Chris Paul, who fouled out with 17 points.

For the first time since May 29, 2004, the fifth game of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA playoffs descended on downtown Minneapolis. The shine of this long-awaited return to relevance by the 29-year-old franchise was dulled a bit by the team’s fade down the stretch to finish eighth in the conference and draw the most daunting matchup available against a Rockets team that won all four regular season games by an average of 16 points and took the first two games of this series in Houston.

The occasion was still plenty special, though, with the memory of late coach and executive Flip Saunders not far from the minds of the Target Center regulars, and the sellout crowd matched the moment to make the arena louder than it had been all season.

“It was crazy. All the fans were in the game the whole time,” Wiggins said. “They helped us gain momentum going forward.”

HARD FOR HARDEN

Harden, who had 44 points in Game 1 but lost his rainbow jumper in Game 2 and finished only 2 for 18 from the floor for 12 points, wasn’t a whole lot sharper in Game 3. He went 9 for 21, including 3 for 8 from 3-point range.

“We stooped to their level, playing slow,” said Rockets sixth man Eric Gordon, who went 5 for 16 from the floor. “We didn’t create.”

GOING TO TOWNS

After totaling only 13 points over the first two games, Towns was constantly double-teamed by the Rockets and didn’t attempt a shot in the first quarter. The 7-footer’s energy got going soon after that, though, with an emphatic dunk on Clint Capela after peeling away from the post-up to snag a high pass from Teague.

“You let the game tell you what to happen,” Towns said. “Just trying to find different ways to score.”

source: philstar.com

Zach LaVine takes flight, wins 2nd dunk contest

TORONTO — The Latest on Saturday's (Sunday Manila time) events at the NBA's All-Star Weekend in Toronto:

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10:35 p.m.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine outlasted Orlando's Aaron Gordon in an epic final round of the dunk contest, posting four straight perfect 50s to win for the second straight year.

LaVine and Gordon matched each other dunk for dunk for the first two tries in the final round. Then needed two rounds of tie-breakers to decide a winner.

Gordon got a 47 with a Harold Miner-style jackknife dunk on his fourth dunk, which opened the door for LaVine in one of the most memorable competitions in years.


He ended it with a between-the-legs dunk from a step inside the free throw line to become just the fourth player to win back-to-back titles.

— Jon Krawczynski

___

10:16 p.m.

Defending dunk champion Zach LaVine is in the lead after the preliminary round after getting a perfect 50 on his opening dunk and a 49 on the second one. LaVine's opener came off the bounce, when he wrapped the ball around his back before cupping it with his right hand and throwing it down. He took off from the free throw line and grabbed a lob from teammate Andre Miller on his second one and got a 49.

Orlando's Aaron Gordon jumped over Orlando's mascot Stuff, who was standing on a hoverboard, grabbed the ball and went through his legs before throwing it down for a 49 on his second dunk to give him 94 points.

Detroit's Andre Drummond was third with 75 points and Will Barton was last with 74.

LaVine faces Gordon in the final round.

— Jon Krawczynski

___

9:35 p.m.

Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors has beaten teammate Stephen Curry to win the 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday night.

Thompson scored 27 points in the final round, making his last eight shots to beat Curry and Phoenix's Devin Booker. Curry scored 23 points and Booker finished with 16 in the final round.

Curry was the event's defending champion.

Thompson made 19 of his 25 shots in the final round, and that even bettered his 18-for-25 showing in the first round. Combine them, and Thompson shot a staggering 74 percent — 37 for 50 — from long range over the course of the night.

— Tim Reynolds

____

9:15 p.m.

Golden State's "Splash Brothers" duo of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, along with Phoenix's Devin Booker are the three finalists in the 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday night.

Booker got his spot after beating Houston's James Harden and J.J. Redick of the Los Angeles Clippers in a tiebreaker round. Those three all finished with 20 points, and then Booker won the tiebreaker with 12 more points over Redick (9) and Harden (8).

Toronto's Kyle Lowry (15), Portland's C.J. McCollum (14), Milwaukee's Khris Middleton (13) were eliminated before the tiebreaker.

Curry is the defending champion.

Thompson made 18 of his 25 3-point shots, and Curry avoided the playoff by making his "money ball" — a shot that counted for two points — on his 25th and final attempt of the first round.

— Tim Reynolds

___

8:25 p.m.

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Karl-Anthony Towns has beaten Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas to win the Skills Challenge at the NBA's All-Star Saturday night.

Towns, the No. 1 overall pick who stands nearly 7 feet tall, won in the first time the competition was opened up to include frontcourt players. Towns weaved through an obstacle course, fed a pass through a target, made a layup and a 3-pointer to win it.

After accepting the trophy, he was joined on the podium by fellow big competitors DeMarcus Cousins, Draymond Green and Anthony Davis.

Towns won after teammate Zach LaVine took home MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night.

___Jon Krawczynski.

___

8:17 p.m.

Portland's C.J. McCollum, Boston's Isaiah Thomas, Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns and Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins have advanced out of the first round of the Skills Challenge on All-Star Saturday night.

McCollum took down Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson and Thomas beat Denver Nuggets rookie Emmanuel Mudiay on the guard side of the bracket.

Towns beat Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Cousins beat New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis on the big men side of the bracket in the first year that the competition has been open to frontcourt players.

— Jon Krawczynski

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7:20 p.m.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has come out even more strongly against the so-called "Hack-a-Shaq" rule.

Silver has long made it clear that he doesn't like the strategy that calls for the intentional fouling of poor foul shooters, reducing games to free-throw-shooting contests. Silver says he's "beginning to feel a change needs to be made."

Owners could address the issue at their meeting in Toronto on Sunday, but Silver insisted that no change will come this season. What might stop is what the commissioner says is a safety issue is a player jumping on another player's back to get an official's attention. Silver said that could result in a flagrant foul.

Silver says the NBA has data showing that coaches are using the "Hack-a-Shaq' strategy more than five times what the norm has been in the past.

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7:05 p.m.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has offered Oklahoma City assistant coach Monty Williams and his family condolences on the league's behalf.

Ingrid Williams, the coach's wife, died earlier this week from injuries suffered in a car crash. She was only 44, and tributes have poured in from players around the league since her passing.

Silver says "the entire NBA family is grieving."

— Tim Reynolds

___

5:40 p.m.

The complete set of Air Jordans — like the gift given to Kobe Bryant by the iconic Jordan Brand as a retirement present — is going to raise an enormous amount of money for charity.

At least $100,000, to be precise.

Bryant got a gift of all 30 pairs in the Jordan collection to commemorate his final All-Star appearance, and a matching set of the shoes in Bryant's size (14) are being auctioned through eBay for charity.

The first bid was $100,000. The auction runs through noon Eastern on Sunday.

The proceeds will go to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation, which tries to improve the lives of kids and their families in a variety of ways.

— Tim Reynolds

___

5:05 p.m.

Carmelo Anthony says he has no plans to leave New York and is angry about a report linking him to trade talks.

The Daily News of New York reported Friday that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics had discussed a deal involving Kevin Love and there were "very preliminary discussions" with the Knicks about expanding it to include Anthony, who would end up with LeBron James in Cleveland.

During interviews Saturday for the All-Star Game, Anthony — who has a no-trade clause in his contract — said he's had no conservations with the Knicks or anyone else about leaving the team.

James added that the reports were "false," saying the Cavaliers weren't worried about trade talks.

— Brian Mahoney

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4:25 p.m.

Jimmer Fredette scored 35 points, Jarnell Stokes scored with 37 seconds left to break a tie and put his team up for good, and the Eastern Conference topped the Western Conference 128-124 in Saturday's NBA Development League All-Star Game.

Fredette was the game MVP and says it was "just an honor to be here at the All-Star Game."

He was 13 for 19 from the floor, and made six 3-pointers.

Stokes, who has spent plenty of time with the Miami Heat this season, finished with 17 for the East side. He says he's going back to the Heat after this game.

Vander Blue led the West with 17 points.

— Tim Reynolds

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1:30 p.m.

Heat forward Chris Bosh says he will have more tests on his injured right calf when he returns to Miami after Sunday's All-Star Game.

Bosh revealed Saturday that the calf has been an issue for several days. He is not going to take part in Saturday's 3-point contest or Sunday's game, dropping out Friday out of concern for making the calf worse.

Bosh says he's optimistic that the issue won't turn into a bigger problem, but wants the tests done to make sure.

— Tim Reynolds.

___

12:35 p.m.

The Western Conference practice is going on, with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich showing off his dribbling skills and retiring star Kobe Bryant getting huge ovations from the crowd.

Much like the East workout earlier Saturday, it's a very loose mood — as one would expect from an All-Star session.

Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon says she's enjoying being around players in a less-than-competitive environment, and seeing a different side of competitors. Popovich is installing plays such as "5 out" and "3 weave," and encouraging everyone to act like a point guard.

But is it like a Spurs practice? Hammon isn't telling, saying "I can't give away our secrets. We've got a lot of secrets."

— Tim Reynolds

___

11:35 a.m.

The Eastern Conference All-Star practice has started.

Injured All-Stars Chris Bosh and Jimmy Butler are with the East team, and both gave interviews that were shown on video screens during the practice. Bosh says he's excited to see Toronto host the All-Star Game — he spent his first seven NBA seasons in the city — and Butler revealed that he's a big Taylor Swift fan.

Suffice to say, it isn't the most competitive practice.

Celebrity chef Guy Fieri is watching from a courtside seat, raving about the quality and variety of culinary options in Toronto. And the Raptors' All-Star duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan addressed the crowd before the practice began.

Last-minute All-Star replacement Al Horford also talked to the crowd, saying he's looking forward to having "fun with the best players in the league."

Up next: The Western Conference practice.

— Tim Reynolds

___

11:05 a.m.

Better late than never: Atlanta's Al Horford has arrived at All-Star weekend.

Horford was selected Friday as the replacement for Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh, who pulled out with a strained right calf. Horford was vacationing in the Caribbean when the NBA called, packed up quickly and arrived in Toronto late Friday night.

Here's hoping he had sweaters with him: Temperatures in Toronto are likely to stay below zero all day Saturday, though as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said, "I'm told the game will be played indoors."

Horford will practice with the East squad and take part in team meetings Saturday, then come off the bench in Sunday night's All-Star contest.

— Tim Reynolds

___

10:30 a.m.

Kobe Bryant has gotten one impressive retirement gift from Michael Jordan.

The Jordan Brand gave Bryant a full set of the sneakers released so far in the Air Jordan line — 30 pairs in all. The gift was presented early Saturday at the Jordan Brand All-Star party, which Bryant attended.

Jordan Brand President Larry Miller says the gift was presented "to honor one of the game's great players and the legacy that he created."

Bryant is an 18-time All-Star who is retiring from the Los Angeles Lakers when this season ends. He got the Jordan set in white; the company made an alternate full black set in Bryant's size 14, and they're being auctioned off on eBay for charity. The auction starts Saturday at noon Eastern, ending Sunday at the same time.

— Tim Reynolds

source: philstar.com

Timberwolves reach .500 mark with win over 76ers

PHILADELPHIA — The Minnesota Timberwolves routed the Philadelphia 76ers 126-95 Monday night to once again reach the .500 mark.

Now the Timberwolves (17-17) want something more.

“We need to get over that hump,” forward Kevin Love said after a 26-point performance. “It’s something we need to get past.”

Minnesota has not been above the break-even mark since Nov. 23, when the T-wolves beat Houston to move to 8-7. Monday marked the eighth time they have been right at .500 since then. On each of the previous seven occasions, they have lost their next game.

Center Nikola Pekovic added 16 points and 14 rebounds for the T-wolves, who in snapping Philadelphia’s season-high four-game winning streak scored their most points of the season. They also sank a season-high 16 3-pointers on 26 attempts (61.5 percent).

Love, who shot 7-for-12 in all, went 4-for-7 from the arc. Guard Kevin Martin, who finished with 18 points, drilled three 3-pointers, as did guard/forward Corey Brewer and guard J.J. Barea. Brewer and Barea finished with 15 and 13 points, respectively.

Minnesota coach Rick Adelman called it “a really solid win” for his club, which has beaten Philadelphia five straight times.

“I just liked the way we played, and our attitude, too,” he said.

Forward Thaddeus Young, just named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, had 20 points to pace Philadelphia (12-22), which was coming off a six-game road trip. But coach Brett Brown was not eager to blame the loss on fatigue.

“I do think that there is a physical side of what you saw tonight,” he said, “but the mental side of it upsets me far more. I feel that, I see that, far more than I do a fatigue factor.”

The Sixers turned the ball over 23 times, after averaging just 13.5 during their winning streak. Those miscues led to 30 Minnesota points. The Timberwolves also owned a 53-40 rebounding advantage.

“That’s not us,” Brown said of his team’s effort. “That’s not who we are. That’s not a reflection of the improvement that we have made, and it’s no reflection of them as competitors.”

The game was tied nine times in the first 17 minutes, the last time at 46-46 on a basket by Sixers guard Michael Carter-Williams with 7:06 left in the first half. But the Timberwolves ended the second quarter on a 24-8 spree to take a 70-54 lead at the break. Pekovic registered eight of his points in that stretch, and finished the half with 10.

Brewer led Minnesota with 15 in the half, and Young topped the Sixers with 15.

The T-wolves then limited the Sixers to 8-for-23 shooting while outscoring them 35-20 in the third quarter, a period that saw Love score 16 of his points.

NOTES: F Kevin Love has scored 20 points or more in 14 consecutive games, the longest streak by a T-wolves player since Kevin Garnett eclipsed the 20-point mark in 16 straight in 2003. … Sixers F Thaddeus Young became the second Sixer to be named Eastern Conference Player of the Week this season, after averaging 25 points and nearly eight rebounds in three victories between Dec. 30 and Jan. 5. Coach Brett Brown called Young “a gentleman” and said he boasts an “elite” skill set. “He’s a good person,” Brown said, “who puts in a lot of time and is now exploring different skills at 25 years old.” … G Michael-Carter Williams had been honored earlier. It is the first time since the ’01-02 season two Philadelphia players have been named Player of the Week in the same season. Allen Iverson and Eric Snow did it that year. … Young also averaged 26.4 points over his previous seven games, a hot streak that came immediately after his name surfaced in trade rumors. “It’s always motivation, any time somebody says anything negative or tries to put a block in front of you,” he said. “My mindset is to always crush that block or go through it.” … The Timberwolves’ game against the San Antonio Spurs, originally scheduled for Dec. 4 in Mexico City, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. CT at Target Center in Minneapolis. … The Sixers were without G Tony Wroten (flulike symptoms). … Minnesota C Ronny Turiaf returned after missing the previous 31 games with a fractured right elbow. … T-wolves F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute sat out his second straight with a strained groin.

source: interaksyon.com