Preview: The Wolves play the NBA's best team, on the road. And you can bet the Thunder will be very motivated, for a couple reasons. First, the Thunder somehow found a way to lose at Washington on Monday after allowing the Wizards to go on a 23-6 run. And two, the last time these two teams met -- at Target Center Dec. 20 -- the Wolves broke an 11-game losing streak to the Thunder franchise with a 99-93 victory.
Players to watch: Wolves C Nikola Pekovic had 24 points and 10 rebounds vs. Oklahoma Dec. 20. G For Oklahoma City, it all starts with forward Kevin Durant, who is third in the league in scoring (28.2) and is shooting 51.7 percent. Durant has averaged 27.6 points per game in 20 games vs. Minnesota.
Numbers: The Thunder has lost consecutive games just once this season. Minnesota is 1-5 all-time in games played in Oklahoma City, having lost the past five.
Injuries: Wolves: F Kevin Love (broken right hand), F chase Budinger (left knee surgery), G Malcolm Lee (knee) and G Brandon Roy (knee) are out. Ricky Rubio, recovering from knee surgery, has not yet played on the back end of back-to-back games.
KENT YOUNGBLOOD
