The Timberwolves played on without head coach Rick Adelman, who missed Monday's home game against Houston because of what the team termed "personal reasons."
They've done it before.
Top assistant Terry Porter coached 11 games for Adelman last season when he was away from the team while doctors tried to diagnose why his wife had suddenly experienced seizures. He coached the team again on Monday with Adelman absent.
The team announced it expects Adelman to return for Wednesday's home game against Denver, the Wolves' last game before the six-day All-Star break.
"There's some familiarity with him not being there," Porter said. "Obviously, the roster is different, but for me and the rest of the coaches it's the same, a lot of the same stuff with a few wrinkles in regards to the consistency we try to keep with the guys."
The Wolves went 2-9 in those 11 games Adelman missed while away from the team in January 2013.
"We're still going to prepare the same way, still run the same game plan that we had," said Wolves forward Chase Budinger, who played for Adelman in Houston and now in Minnesota. "It'll just be different not having him on the sidelines, calling plays, talking to us during timeouts. But mentally for everyone, we're still on the same page."
JERRY ZGODA
