Darko still feeling ill, Miller should make season debut vs. Lakers

When was the last time this happened?

Your Timberwolves are favored over the Lakers by a bucket tonight at Target Center, according to the guys in Las Vegas.

The answer: Probably sometime well before the Wolves last beat the Lakers, which was 16 games ago, all the way back to a double-overtime victory in March 2007 when Kevin Garnett still played for this time.

But that's what the Wolves are against a Lakers team that is 1-7 on the road this season and hasn't reached 100 points for the last 13 games.

That's a franchise record dating to the inception of the 24-second shot clock before the 1954-55.

Lakers coach Mike Brown said he'll probably insert Ron Artest -- sorry, Metta World Peace -- in the starting lineup at small forward, which would make for an awfully BIG lineup against a Wolves team that again will start Ricky Rubio and Luke Ridnour in the backcourt against that guy named Kobe.

Darko! planned on playing tonight after missing Friday's victory over the Spurs because he was ill.

That's problematic against a Lakers team that has Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol up front.

Darko said it's not a worry because the Wolves have the fellow who sits next to Darko! in the locker room, big Nikola Pekovic.

Not sure the matter is quite so funny for Rick Adelman, who says Brad Miller will play, particularly if Darko! can't go.

But Adelman says Miller will only play in short stretches.

J.J. Barea will not play for the Wolves tonight.