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Jerry Zgoda missed the entire Kevin Garnett era, but he's back covering the Timberwolves after working the beat for their first four seasons two decades ago. In between, he covered a bit of everything: Gopher men's and women's basketball and NCAA athletics, golf, outdoor recreation, sports media and a little Vikings and Twins.
Posts about Vikings
Rubio not expected to make two-game trip West
Posted by: Jerry Zgoda Updated: January 1, 2013 - 1:59 PM
My colleague/boss Dennis Brackin covered practice for me today at Target Center while I head to the airport to catch a flight westward for this quick two-game trip to Salt Lake City and Denver.
He reports:
* Don't expect Ricky Rubio to make the trip because of that stiff back that caused him to miss Saturday's victory over Phoenix.
Rick Adelman said it didn't make much sense to put Rubio and his spasming back on a plane to Utah and Denver for back-to-back games, the second of which he's wasn't going to play anyway.
Instead, unless there's a late change in plans before the team flies today, they'll keep him here for treatment and try to get him healthy for Saturday's game against Portland.
The start time for that 7 p.m. game, btw, won't be changed to avoid conflict with the Vikings' playoff game at Green Bay because Portland plays the night before in Memphis and needs 24 hours before it plays again and because the Wolves have their big, annual prep Shootout scheduled for Saturday and the headlining Apple Valley-Robbinsdale Cooper game is set for 3 p.m. and there's no wiggle room to move the start time up a couple, three hours.
* Andrei Kirilenko makes his return to Utah to play the Jazz for the first time after playing his first 10 NBA seasons there.
He said after practice that he can't imagine how he'll feel walking out onto the court and said he probably will recognize every fan sitting in the first 20 rows there.
Without Love, Wolves go small today in New York
Posted by: Jerry Zgoda Updated: December 23, 2012 - 3:55 PMThe Wolves are all out of Love again, this time in New York City for a 4 p.m. game against the Knicks, the main event to this afternoon's Vikings-Texans prelim.
That means the Wolves will counter the Knicks' small starting lineup with one of their own.
Rick Adelman will start point guards Luke Ridnour and J.J. Barea in his backcourt and move Alexey Shved to a forward spot of sorts against a Knicks team that also starts point guards Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton and puts guard Ronnie Brewer beside faux-power forward Carmelo Anthony inthe frontcourt.
Adelman contemplated starting Dante Cunningham at Love's power-forward spot, but opted for the three-guard lineup instead.
Love did not travel to New York on Saturday because of an eye injury sustained when he got poked in it late during Thursday's victory over Oklahoma City.
A couple other things about today's game:
* Adelman said Ricky Rubio's minutes won't be increased for his fourth game back, which also is his first visit to Madison Square Garden where it was once assumed he wanted to play.
He said Rubio's minutes will stay right around the 18-minute mark, and then everybody will discuss before Wednesday's game against Houston about whether to increase them.
* How injury prone are the Wolves?
Even their GM is out injured.
President of basketball operations David Kahn couldn't travel, as he often does, to today's game after undergoing hernia surgery last week.
* Kirilenko draws his third tough defensive assignment in as many games today.
On Tuesday, he defended LeBron James. On Thursday, it was Kevin Durant.
And today it's Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, who is playing well enough to be considered an early contender for MVP.
I asked AK before the game if he's going to ask for a raise on that $10 million salary.
"Why?" he asked. "I get paid enough. I'm not greedy."
No lockout in Osseo: NBA stars coming Oct. 21 for Mike Beasley's All-Star Classic
Posted by: Jerry Zgoda Updated: October 12, 2011 - 6:03 PMThey can't get into Target Center these days, so NBA stars John Wall, Joakim Noah and DeMarcus Cousins are among those expected to play in Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley's "All Star Classic" at Osseo High School -- of all places -- next week.
Beasley's Wolves teammates Derrick Williams, Wes Johnson, Martell Webster, Wayne Ellington and former Wolf Sebastian Telfair are scheduled to play as well in the Friday night, Oct. 21 exhibition game.
So, too, are Boston's Jeff Green, Detroit's Greg Monroe, L.A. Clippers' DeAndre Jordan, Chicago's Keith Bogans and Beasley's longtime pal, former Dukie Nolan Smith.
Missing from the list -- at least for now -- is childhood buddy Kevin Durant.
More details -- including ticket prices ranging from $50 for general admission $100 for VIP reserved and $200 for courtside seats -- can be found here.
For comparsion, Durant's charity game at a bigger venue in Oklahoma City two days later featuring former Oklahoma star Blake Griffin, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Green has priced its tickets from $29 to $89 -- there's some $199 courtside seats as well -- with the average price right around $50.
The Beasley All-Star Classic web site says all net proceeds -- and what that means and how much players get for their presence, I'm not sure -- will go to Beasley's foundation that benefits St. Jude's and three Minneapolis charities.
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and former Lakers star Norm Nixon, who has been working out Beasley and mentoring him this off-season, will be celebrity coaches.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and tip is at 7 p.m.
Tonight's Wolves-Cavs game back on KFAN 1130
Posted by: Jerry Zgoda Updated: December 26, 2010 - 4:47 PMIf you're looking for the radio broadcast of tonight's Timberwolves...
It's back on KFAN 1130 AM now that the Vikings' game at Philadelphia has been postponed until Tuesday.
Tonight's game was supposed to be on KOOL 108 FM, but the Vikes' schedule has been disrupted yet again, this time by that East Coast snowstorm.
You'll need to listen to it because tonight's game is another not on local television, until you have the NBA's League Pass.
No changes for the Wolves' tonight, except you can expect Kosta Koufos to wear one of those Rip Hamilton-type plastic masks after Martell Webster inadvertently elbowed him in the schnoz during practice Friday morning.
"Yeah," Koufos said. "Merry Christmas."
The NBA schedule maker did give Koufos a present: He got to fly home to Ohio after Friday morning's practice and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with his family in Canton, about 30 minutes from where he'll play tonight.
Before tonight's game, he was separating out about 25 tickets and passes for family and friends expecting to make the trip to say him play in Cleveland for the only time this season.
Durant, Jeff Green back for Thunder tonight vs. Timberwolves
Posted by: Jerry Zgoda Updated: November 22, 2010 - 3:59 PMThe Thunder's getting the league's leading scorer and another starter back in the lineup tonight against the Timberwolves at the arena formerly known as Ford Center.
Kevin Durant and Jeff Green both missed the last two games -- actually, Green has missed the last four -- because of sprained ankles, but that didn't stop Russell Westbrook and the Thunder from going to Boston and Milwaukee over the weekend and winning at both places because of both defense and grit.
Both declared themselves after this morning's shootaround ready to go tonight against the Wolves.
That means Serge Ibaka and James Harden return to their bench roles.
It'll be interesting to see what defensive matchups Kurt Rambis decides upon. Does he ask Beasley to try to defend his old childhood friend or does he put Wes on Durant and switch Beasley to guard Sefolosha?
(I'm guessing the latter).
Another thing to watch tonight on FSN: After that career night on Friday, Darko said the next step is for him to prove he can be consistent, something he hasn't been much during his eight-season NBA career. Let's see how he follows up that 23-point, 16-rebound, 6-block, 5-assist game,
Btw, Westbrook today was named the Western Conference's Player of the Week for leading the Thunder to a 4-0 week by averaging 23 points, 7.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds.
Kurt Rambis this morning said Sebastian Telfair will start again at point guard tonight, which means Luke Ridnour comes off the bench again. Check out the size disparity when Telfair and Westbrook are bumping each other.
One other thing: Jonny Flynn said he caught the highlights of Sidney Rice's return with the Vikings yesterday and said it's good to see his occasional rehab partner back on the field.
He also said it doesn't change his timetable, which remains somewhat mysterious. Rice had almost the identical surgery that Flynn did, but he had it a month later -- in late August -- and was back playing yesterday.
"We're still not at four months yet," Flynn said, referring to the three-to-four month timetable original given. He's getting a little sensitive being asked daily about his progress.
He said he and the team hasn't yet begun to look at the Sioux Falls Skyforce schedule, if indeed he returns with a rehab stint in the D League.
Here are the options:
The Skyforce play at Fort Wayne tomorrow night (so that's very very unlikely), then play at Bismarck on Friday and at home Saturday.
They don't play again until that next Friday. He could play back-to-back games in the same city if they so choose on Dec. 3 and 4, when the Skyforce play first Iowa and then Reno and its new head coach, Eric Musselman.
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recent posts
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- What will it be tonight for Wolves?
- Homecoming: Kirilenko returns to Utah
- Rubio not expected to make two-game trip West
- Wolves bring back Lazar Hayward
- Wolves sign Lazar Hayward
- Postgame: Wolves heating up in December
- Roy to explore "additional treatment options'' on knee; Rubio out tonight
- Roy contemplating retirement?
- Roy misses practice for personal reasons
- B-Roy eyes Saturday return, Pek back at practice
- Postgame: Wolves lose another lead in Houston loss
- Love will play vs. Rockets, more Ricky likely, too
- Without Love, Wolves go small today in New York
- Eye injury will keep Love out of the lineup Sunday
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- Wolves waive injured Howard, Lee could be lost for season as well
- Postgame: Wolves double up Heat on boards, still lose by 11
- Pekovic, Love will play tonight at Miami, Rubio won't
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