Wolves

Garnett will not play tonight vs. Bulls

In tonight's front end of a back-to-back, Wolves forward Kevin Garnett will sit in Chicago, and play tomorrow at home against Memphis. Adreian Payne will start against the Bulls for Garnett.

By Jerry Zgoda

February 28, 2015 at 12:20AM

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) coaches Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine (8) on the bench in the second half of Wednesday night's game. (Tom Wallace — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Kevin Garnett is out tonight in Chicago on the first night of back-to-back games.

There's is an asterisk, though: He will be active and in uniform so...

"You never know with him," coach Flip Saunders said before tonight's game.

Saunders said there are a couple reasons:

1. The team is committed to playing its young players and he considers a Friday night at United Center in Chicago a good experience for them to feel a big-game atmosphere, even if Bulls star Derrick Rose (knee surgery) and Pau Gasol (ill) won't play.

2. They don't want to tax Garnett's body by playing him on consecutive nights. He'll play at home Saturday against Memphis instead.

Adreian Payne will start at power forward instead.

One thing:

Center Nikola Pekovic said tonight that pain in that ankle is worse and he didn't go out for warmups tonight just so he wouldn't put any undo wear on it.

Saunders said it hasn't gotten to the point yet where they've considered holding him out of back-to-back as well, though.