Minnesota’s bench ranked sixth in scoring entering Tuesday, averaging 35.1 points a game.
Unhappy with how his guards defended a Hornets team playing without
star Chris Paul nine days earlier at Target Center, Wolves coach Randy
Wittman paired starter Marko Jaric and reserve Sebastian Telfair after
Rashad McCants got into foul trouble. The result was ball-handling
poise and defensive unity against New Orleans’ small backcourt of Paul
and former Gopher Bobby Jackson.
star Chris Paul nine days earlier at Target Center, Wolves coach Randy
Wittman paired starter Marko Jaric and reserve Sebastian Telfair after
Rashad McCants got into foul trouble. The result was ball-handling
poise and defensive unity against New Orleans’ small backcourt of Paul
and former Gopher Bobby Jackson.
They’ll get another chance together tonight in Dallas, particularly
against the Mavericks’ small guards, Jason Terry and Devin Harris.
against the Mavericks’ small guards, Jason Terry and Devin Harris.
Buckner was not
happy to be traded from the Mavericks to Minnesota for Trenton Hassell.
Coming back tonight for the first time provided an opportunity to drop
a bomb on the Mavericks’ management, but Buckner resisted. "My mom
always told me if you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at
all, so I’m not going to comment on that," he said. With the Mavericks,
Buckner never got a chance to be the defensive stopper he was brought
in to be. But he’s now is the captain of a young Minnesota team. "I’m
like the old man on the team," he said. "But that’s fine. I get to
teach some of the younger guys. They understand I’ve been through the
wars."
happy to be traded from the Mavericks to Minnesota for Trenton Hassell.
Coming back tonight for the first time provided an opportunity to drop
a bomb on the Mavericks’ management, but Buckner resisted. "My mom
always told me if you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at
all, so I’m not going to comment on that," he said. With the Mavericks,
Buckner never got a chance to be the defensive stopper he was brought
in to be. But he’s now is the captain of a young Minnesota team. "I’m
like the old man on the team," he said. "But that’s fine. I get to
teach some of the younger guys. They understand I’ve been through the
wars."
Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune and Rick Alonzo/Pioneer Press on tonight’s game at Dallas.
Zgoda on Marko Jaric’s reported relationship with supermodel Adriana Lima:
At practice in Dallas Tuesday before tonight’s game against the Mavs, Jaric heard all about it from his teammates and coaches.
“I’m scared now,” he said after practice. “If I play a bad game, that will be the reason why.”
One small (ahem) thing people seem to be missing out on, though: According to a GQ story last year, Adriana Lima does not believe in sex before marriage.
Perhaps this explains why Jaric is posting the highest field goal percentage of his life.
Suddenly he truly understands that every shot counts.
From Rod Simons/KSTP:
I recently chatted with Walker and McCants and I agree with them, this IS a better team than many fans believe. But playoff worthy? Not for a few years unfortunately. By the way, what was wrong with that barely reported trade "throw-in" named Beno Udrih?! The biggest knock on the McHale administration is that he lacks seriously in judging today’s talent. Udrih burned the Wolves in his recent visit here and is another one who got away from the Wolves. Brutal.
Postgame quotes and an audio recap from the win in New Orleans.