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Game previews:
A magnetic resonance imaging exam Tuesday morning revealed no significant damage in his injured left ankle. Timberwolves medical personnel said Gomes suffered a high ankle sprain in the Wolves’ loss at Sacramento on Saturday night.

Gomes, who has started 24 games this season, still faces the possibility of an extended absence, perhaps two to three weeks, but the MRI ruled out the need for surgery.

“I was very nervous at first because of the way I landed,” Gomes said of the injury, which happened during the second quarter while he was chasing a loose ball against the Kings. “I heard something pop. It’s swollen now and I’ve got some pain, but at least it’s not as serious as I thought.”

From Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune: Gomes out for Wednesday’s game and beyond with “high ankle” sprain
It was the most he could do on an injured ankle that has been diagnosed as a high ankle sprain, damage to the ligaments between the lower leg’s two major bones.

He could be out two weeks or more, or perhaps no more than a matter of mere days.

“They say it’s how I can tolerate the pain,” Gomes said after the Timberwolves’ afternoon practice today. “Right now, when I did a lot of lateral movement today, it gave me a lot of pain. I’ve got to give it a ltitle bit of time. We’ll give it two to three days and see how it feels.”

Curtis (New york)
Hello Chad and thank you for stopping by to chat. Considering today is the first day that many players are eligible to be moved, what team do you think makes the first move, and which player is moved first? also, Which team do you think will make the smartest move to solidify their lineup?

Chad Ford   (1:31 PM)
I think it’s going to be Ramon Sessions. Has value, reasonable contract, isn’t getting much run in Minnesota. If David Kahn can pick up more cap relief for this summer or another draft pick, I think he’s going to move him.As far as interested teams go: Bobcats, Warriors, Pacers, Rockets, Lakers, Heat and Sixers could all use some help at the point.

Before the Wolves squared off against the Jazz, the team gathered together to watch the movie, The Hurt Locker. The players continue to debate the entertainment value of the film but most can agree on the lasting effect.

“That kind of bonded us a lot. You can see that coming on the court, whenever you have that chemistry off the court, it translates on the court,” Flynn said.

Timberwolves practices this season generally have been later than those scheduled by Randy Wittman and Kevin McHale a year ago. It’s not a matter of scientific study, simply Rambis’ preference.

“Those articles about sleep deprivation and how much sleep you need have been around for years,” Rambis said. “Sometimes, when one organization implements something new, everybody jumps on it because they don’t want to get left behind.”
From Benjamin Polk/City Pages: Timberwolves breathe rare air
This isn’t a fluke, or some nutty letdown by the Jazz. The Timberwolves have talent, and when they utilize that talent properly and take in multiple good games from multiple good players (because they have multiple good players), they’re going to win nearly as many games as they lose.

It just so happens that Minnesota is 2-0 against Utah, and 2-21 against everyone else.

The report said Minnesota has spent about $50 million to help build professional sports facilities. The Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves and Wild generated $450 million in taxes for the state.

One Sports Facilities Commissioner said that’s got to change.

From Chad Ford and John Hollinger/ESPN: Future Power Rankings
28. Minnesota Timberwolves | Future Power Rating: 390

After a dismal start to the season, Minnesota wins the Siberia Award for the league’s least desirable market, sliding from 28th to 30th. Considering that their main asset at the moment is the trove of cap space they’ll have this summer, that’s a problem.

Otherwise, disappointment is the name of the game. New coach Kurt Rambis has had trouble making his triangle system work, and even opposing scouts wonder aloud why he won’t play Jonny Flynn and Ramon Sessions together in the backcourt. Big man Al Jefferson is still recovering from knee surgery and not near last year’s form, hurting their score in the players category, while Rambis’ early woes and the struggles of several offseason acquisitions (Ryan Hollins, Flynn, Wayne Ellington, Sessions) on the court caused us to knock management’s rating down a peg.