Recaps from the game versus the Heat last night
Minnesota led by as much as seven in the first quarter, but after sitting on the bench for the first six minutes of the second quarter, Wade scored 13 of his 26 points and keyed a 20-6 run which gave Miami a 53-44 lead at halftime.
Miami extended their lead to 21 with a 16-4 run to open the second half until Minnesota responded with a 21-6 run of their own to cut Miami’s lead to six.
“(Minnesota) provided a fight, especially there in the third and fourth quarter,” Dwyane Wade said. “We relaxed a bit and didn’t play as aggressive. We got a lot of fouls and missed a lot of shots from the seven minute mark of the third quarter up until the nine minute mark of the fourth quarter.”
Wade and Udonis Haslem were key in turning the tide in the fourth quarter.
Milicic’s absence seemed to open up the Wolves’ defense. When he went to the locker room with 7:51 left in the second quarter, the Wolves had a 33-31 lead. Four minutes later, Dorell Wright hit a three-pointer to put Miami up 41-38. The Wolves never led again.
Milicic had made 5 of 8 shots from the floor and was the game’s high scorer with 10 points when he was injured.
“Losing Darko hurt,” Rambis said. “Our pick-and-roll coverage got soft.”
The Wolves also lost an inside scoring option and one of the team’s best passers.
Without Milicic, the Wolves’ offense suffered a major breakdown in the third quarter, allowing Miami to build a 69-48 lead.
Rambis saw his team go nearly six minutes without a field goal, miss eight free throws and commit four turnovers.
During one stretch in the third quarter, the Wolves committed turnovers on three consecutive possessions, two by Ryan Hollins, who was filling in for Milicic.
The Wolves finished the quarter with only 14 points and five baskets.
Wade scored 39 points and simply took over whenever his team’s offense bogged down, earning the Heat an eighth consecutive victory, 97-84 in Target Center, almost by himself.
“Everybody else on his team, they were OK,” said a seemingly unimpressed Kurt Rambis, the Wolves’ coach. “But he just separated them from us.”
He did, but the separation was a little easier once Darko Milicic, who somehow has become an impact player after just six weeks in Minnesota, was nearly separated from his jaw. Check this 90-second sequence in the second quarter for proof: Milicic nails a short hook shot in the lane. Milicic hits a 10-foot jumper. Milicic knocks away Udonis Haslem’s in-close jumper. Milicic takes a Jamaal Magloire elbow in the jaw.
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Here’s the link to the game thread in the forums: Wolves @ Sonics
Sporting News game preview for tonight’s game against the Sonics
Oklahoma City is currently sixth in the West, two games out of the second-place logjam between Dallas, Denver, Utah and Phoenix. A game versus lowly Minnesota could help the Thunder continue their surge and bid for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Looking to avoid getting swept in the season series against the Oklahoma City franchise for the first time since 1996-97, the Timberwolves go for their first victory on the road since Feb. 23 against Miami.
Minnesota lost 97-84 to visiting Miami on Saturday after snapping a franchise high-tying 16-game slide Wednesday against Sacramento.
“We just want to leave with a good taste in our mouth at the end of the season,” forward Kevin Love said after posting his third straight double-double Saturday with 11 points and 11 rebounds. “We’ve had a really tough road. I think for the last 15 or 20 games we’ve been playing major playoff teams … we try to knock off as many as possible, but we haven’t had too much success.”
Jerry Zgoda Q&A with Stephen Curry
Q. Why didn’t you work out for the Wolves last summer?
A. Good question. I don’t even really remember. What’s their GM’s name? David Kahn, that’s right. I talked with him at the pre-draft camp. They were interested in me. I just felt like Golden State and New York and Sacramento were a better fit.
Q. Because of the direction those franchises were headed or because of these cold Minnesota winters?
A. They didn’t have a coach at the time. I wasn’t sure what direction they were going in.
Ethan McVansen at bleacher report examines the pros and cons of re-signing each of our upcoming free agents
Lol he gives us a chance of 3% of re-signing Pavlobrick. I’d say it’s more like -1000%.
Around the NBA
Kobe has signed a 3-year, $90 million contract extension with the Lakers.
I have no sympathy for the owners in their upcoming negotiations with the players for the next collective bargaining agreement as long as they keep thinking things like this are a good idea. Kobe will be making $32 million dollars a year when he’s 35 years old! Wow, just wow. The only player on the planet that’s worth that money is Lebron. And even then, the contract is so large that it will most likely keep you from winning a championship because you won’t be able to put a team around him. This is just stupid. Hey NBA, there’s a reason you’re failing.
David Lee had 37 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Warriors on Friday night.
The Knicks lost. 
Andrew Bogut is out for the season with a dislocated elbow
This is shot to the nuts for Bucks fans. I feel for them. He was having such a great year and they could have caused some trouble in the playoffs. Now they have no chance. Here’s the video of when it happened.
Warning: it’s pretty gruesome looking.