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MINNESOTA
CLEVELAND |
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198
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Final
93 |
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| 503 | MINNESOTA | 195.5 | 196.5 | | 504 | CLEVELAND | -1 | -2 |
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| All Games | 3-0 | +3.4 | 2-1 | 2-1 | 109.7 | 61.0 | 43.0% | 56.3 | 98.7 | 46.7 | 42.6% | 55.7 | | Road Games | 1-0 | +1.4 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 109.0 | 64.0 | 44.3% | 51.0 | 100.0 | 49.0 | 44.9% | 53.0 | | Last 5 Games | 3-0 | +3.4 | 2-1 | 2-1 | 109.7 | 61.0 | 43.0% | 56.3 | 98.7 | 46.7 | 42.6% | 55.7 |
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| Team Stats (All Games) | 109.7 | 61.0 | 37-85 | 43.0% | 9-24 | 36.1% | 28-35 | 79.0% | 56 | 11 | 24 | 19 | 10 | 14 | 2 | | vs opponents surrendering | 95.9 | 46.6 | 34-81 | 42.2% | 7-21 | 33.9% | 20-26 | 78.1% | 52 | 11 | 21 | 20 | 8 | 17 | 5 | | Team Stats (Road Games) | 109.0 | 64.0 | 35-79 | 44.3% | 10-27 | 37.0% | 29-38 | 76.3% | 51 | 10 | 23 | 16 | 9 | 12 | 1 | | Stats Against (All Games) | 98.7 | 46.7 | 39-91 | 42.6% | 9-30 | 28.9% | 13-17 | 76.0% | 56 | 14 | 19 | 28 | 6 | 18 | 5 | | vs opponents averaging | 96.7 | 47.3 | 36-84 | 43.3% | 7-22 | 31.8% | 17-21 | 79.9% | 52 | 11 | 18 | 23 | 9 | 17 | 5 | | Stats Against (Road Games) | 100.0 | 49.0 | 40-89 | 44.9% | 9-32 | 28.1% | 11-13 | 84.6% | 53 | 14 | 21 | 26 | 7 | 16 | 3 |
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| All Games | 1-2 | -1.3 | 1-2 | 0-3 | 85.3 | 45.0 | 38.2% | 55.3 | 91.0 | 48.3 | 42.2% | 55.0 | | Home Games | 1-0 | +1.4 | 1-0 | 0-1 | 98.0 | 49.0 | 41.7% | 65.0 | 94.0 | 48.0 | 40.2% | 49.0 | | Last 5 Games | 1-2 | -1.3 | 1-2 | 0-3 | 85.3 | 45.0 | 38.2% | 55.3 | 91.0 | 48.3 | 42.2% | 55.0 |
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| Team Stats (All Games) | 85.3 | 45.0 | 32-84 | 38.2% | 4-16 | 25.0% | 17-24 | 73.2% | 55 | 11 | 15 | 25 | 10 | 15 | 2 | | vs opponents surrendering | 93.4 | 46.4 | 35-82 | 42.5% | 6-16 | 38.1% | 18-24 | 75.0% | 54 | 11 | 19 | 24 | 9 | 16 | 5 | | Team Stats (Home Games) | 98.0 | 49.0 | 35-84 | 41.7% | 5-15 | 33.3% | 23-34 | 67.6% | 65 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 3 | | Stats Against (All Games) | 91.0 | 48.3 | 33-77 | 42.2% | 7-21 | 34.4% | 18-26 | 70.5% | 55 | 8 | 23 | 21 | 7 | 17 | 7 | | vs opponents averaging | 91 | 42.9 | 32-78 | 41.7% | 6-19 | 34.5% | 20-28 | 70.8% | 52 | 9 | 20 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 8 | | Stats Against (Home Games) | 94.0 | 48.0 | 33-82 | 40.2% | 9-24 | 37.5% | 19-24 | 79.2% | 49 | 9 | 24 | 27 | 8 | 15 | 8 |
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| | Average power rating of opponents played: MINNESOTA 97.3, CLEVELAND 94.3 |
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| 10/30/2013 | ORLANDO | 120-115 | W | -10.5 | L | 199.5 | O | 42-100 | 42.0% | 61 | 14 | 47-100 | 47.0% | 63 | 18 | | 11/1/2013 | OKLAHOMA CITY | 100-81 | W | -2 | W | 201 | U | 33-77 | 42.9% | 57 | 15 | 29-83 | 34.9% | 51 | 21 | | 11/3/2013 | @ NEW YORK | 109-100 | W | 3 | W | 195 | O | 35-79 | 44.3% | 51 | 12 | 40-89 | 44.9% | 53 | 16 | | 11/4/2013 | @ CLEVELAND | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/6/2013 | GOLDEN STATE | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/8/2013 | DALLAS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/10/2013 | @ LA LAKERS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/11/2013 | @ LA CLIPPERS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/13/2013 | CLEVELAND | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/15/2013 | @ DENVER | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/16/2013 | BOSTON | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/19/2013 | @ WASHINGTON | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/20/2013 | LA CLIPPERS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| 10/30/2013 | BROOKLYN | 98-94 | W | 3 | W | 194 | U | 35-84 | 41.7% | 65 | 11 | 33-82 | 40.2% | 49 | 15 | | 11/1/2013 | @ CHARLOTTE | 84-90 | L | -3.5 | L | 187.5 | U | 32-84 | 38.1% | 54 | 17 | 33-73 | 45.2% | 57 | 15 | | 11/2/2013 | @ INDIANA | 74-89 | L | 7.5 | L | 188 | U | 29-83 | 34.9% | 47 | 16 | 32-77 | 41.6% | 59 | 20 | | 11/4/2013 | MINNESOTA | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/6/2013 | @ MILWAUKEE | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/8/2013 | @ PHILADELPHIA | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/9/2013 | PHILADELPHIA | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/11/2013 | @ CHICAGO | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/13/2013 | @ MINNESOTA | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/15/2013 | CHARLOTTE | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/16/2013 | @ WASHINGTON | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/20/2013 | WASHINGTON | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| |  | MINNESOTA: GUARDS: Unlike last year, RICKY RUBIO should be 100 percent healthy for all of this season. He's one of the NBA's most creative playmakers. Now if only he could make a jump shot . . . KEVIN MARTIN has become much more of a catch-and-shoot player after years of attacking the basket and living at the line. He is coming off his best year shooting the ball . . . If the Wolves don't move J.J. BAREA, they'll have him in the sixth man role they initially envisioned before injuries destroyed the roster a year ago . . . ALEXEY SHVED did a nice job holding down this backcourt as a rookie last year, but he's a second-unit talent, which is the role he'll be in this season. FORWARDS: KEVIN LOVE should bounce back completely this season, as his hand injury is unlikely to linger. Lock him into the All-Star game . . . CHASE BUDINGER never got a chance to get going last season, but he's exactly the kind of spot-up shooter and savvy cutter who should thrive alongside Ricky Rubio. Unfortunately, he is sidelined with a knee injury for several months . . . COREY BREWER gives the Timberwolves a defensive specialist to platoon with Budinger. Someone has to convince him he can't shoot, though . . . With Love back, DERRICK WILLIAMS returns to the bench as a seemingly never-ending project . . . SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD seems like a low-risk, but low-reward, second-unit scorer . . . DANTE CUNNINGHAM will back up both post spots. He figures to play sparingly unless injuries hit. CENTERS: NIKOLA PEKOVIC signed a $60M deal in August to return to the team and hold down the low post. He's an absolute beast on the offensive boards . . . GORGUI DIENG seems ready to help off the bench. He's a bit limited athletically and on offense, but can block shots . . . RONNY TURIAF will battle Dieng for bench minutes. | | CLEVELAND: GUARDS: There are some durability concerns, but KYRIE IRVING is on the verge of stardom. He should benefit from the arrival of Anthony Bennett, the kind of pick-and-roll weapon Cleveland has lacked . . . DION WAITERS is still a work-in-progress defensively, and this will likely be another developmental year. He might end up settling in as the leader of the second unit . . . JARRETT JACK seems likely to close out games, even if he doesn't technically start. He's a creative shot-maker who will play close to starter's minutes . . . C.J. MILES is more of a situational three-point threat. SERGEY KARASEV, a polished Euro import, could push him for that role . . . CARRICK FELIX doesn't figure to crack this rotation. FORWARDS: No. 1 overall pick ANTHONY BENNETT will see time at both forward spots, and he'll be a pick-and-pop weapon no matter where he's playing. The question is whether he'll defend well enough to stay on the court for 30 minutes . . . There should also be enough minutes for TRISTAN THOMPSON, who hasn't quite put it together. The 22-year-old has upside though, and is a bigger part of Cleveland's future than Anderson Varejao . . . EARL CLARK gives the Cavs a quality second unit player who can play extended minutes if Bennett is overmatched defensively . . . A starter last year, ALONZO GEE figures to be a second-unit glue guy, but might be looking at a lot of DNP-CDs. CENTERS: ANDERSON VAREJAO is once again healthy and once again trade bait. No matter what the starting lineup looks like, he'll play major minutes at the four and five . . . The Cavs are taking a flier on ANDREW BYNUM. With his knee problems, it'd be surprising if he could give them 20-plus good minutes per night . . . TYLER ZELLER is likely the odd man out until Varejao is dealt or Bynum gets injured. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER PRO BASKETBALL PREVIEW (MINNESOTA-CLEVELAND) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(ADDS dropped word in 3rd graf)
*Timberwolves-Cavaliers Preview* ================================
By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer
Minnesota (2-0) at Cleveland (1-2), 7:00 p.m. EDT
Impressive first-quarter scoring is a key reason why the Minnesota Timberwolves are off to their best start in 12 years.
Kevin Love is another.
Love and the Timberwolves look to get off to another strong start as they go for a fourth straight win Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Minnesota (3-0) is off to its best start since winning the first six games of 2001-02, and another productive first quarter could help move them closer to that franchise record.
The Timberwolves are averaging a league-best 37.3 points while hitting 55.2 percent from the floor - 8 of 16 from beyond the arc - in the opening quarter through the first three games. They got off to their best start yet Sunday, sinking 14 of 21 field goals to score 40 points in the opening period of a 109-100 victory at New York.
"This is such a fun team to  ," said guard Kevin Martin, who had a season-high 30 points while making all five 3-pointers. "Nobody is trying to lead the league in scoring here. Everybody has the big picture of getting to the playoffs."
A healthy Love would surely help after he was limited to 18 games last season due to various injuries, including a twice-broken right hand.
The All-Star forward seems to have put those injuries behind him, averaging 29.7 points and 14.7 rebounds while making 50.0 percent from the floor - 8 for 21 from 3-point range - this season.
He had a season-high 34 points, 15 boards and five assists against the Knicks.
"We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves because of the injuries," Love said. "So don't want to live in the past, don't want to live too far in the future, we just want to try to plan for Cleveland."
Love had 36 points and 13 rebounds in a 91-73 home win over the Cavaliers on Dec. 7. Minnesota completed the season sweep without him Feb. 11, winning 100-92 at Cleveland behind Ricky Rubio's 13 points, 10 assists and five steals.
The point guard, though, is coming off his worst performance of the season, making 3 of 11 from the field to finish with eight points and 10 assists.
The Cavaliers (1-2) hope to avoid a third straight loss after a season-opening 98-94 home win over Brooklyn.
They turned in their worst offensive performance of the season Saturday, shooting 34.9 percent from the floor - including 3 of 15 from long range - in an 89-74 loss at Indiana.
Still, coach Mike Brown came away feeling positive.
"As crazy as this sounds, I thought (Saturday) was our best offensive night, from the standpoint that the ball moved and bodies moved," he said. "Just watching the game, I thought we tried to play with some flow.
"I thought we tried to move the basketball. We had weak-side shots open. We had more of those than any other time."
Like the Cavs, Kyrie Irving is off to a slow start, averaging 15.3 points and 7.0 assists. The point guard averaged 22.5 points and 5.9 assists last season, and was a first-time All-Star.
Irving had 20 points and seven assists against the Timberwolves on Feb. 11, while Dion Waiters made all six of his shots to finish with 12 points.
Minnesota has won four of five against Cleveland after a nine-game losing streak in the series.
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| | Last Updated: 5/2/2024 11:27:34 PM EST. |
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