Wolves

Hamilton to return to action tonight

Justin Hamilton will play for the first time in five games tonight for the Wolves but the same can't be said for the rest of the injured players on the roster. Kevin Garnett, Kevin Martin and Ricky Rubio, among others, aren't expected to see action against the Lakers.

By Kent Youngblood

March 25, 2015 at 11:28PM

Timberwolves Kevin Garnett, Justin Hamilton and Kevin Martin watched the game in the final minute of play. Brooklyn beat Minnesota by a final score of 122-106. (Dml - Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Greetings from Target Center, where the Lakers and Wolves will kick off in a batle of the bottom two teams in the Western Conference.

Lakers coach Byron Scott is away from the team attending the funeral of his mother. That leaves Paul Pressey in charge. The Lakers' injury report is nearly as long as the Wolves. Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash are out, of course. But so are Ronnie Price, Julius Randle and Nick Young.

The Wolves?

The team will get Justin Hamilton back. Hamilton, who took a knee to his head in Brooklyn March 16, will play for the first time in five games. He missed four games with a headache. But he has passed the concussion protocol and is ready to return.

Not so for the other Wolves players. Kevin Martin, nursing a sore hamstring, will dress but almost certainly will not play. Also out: Ricky Rubio, Kevin Garnett, Anthony Bennett, Robbie Hummel, Shabazz Muhammad, Gary Neal and Nikola Pekovic.

Saunders said that both Rubio and Garnett would play again at some point before this season ends. Rubio missed his fourth straight game and his sixth in seven games with a sore ankle. Garnett's sore knee kept him out of his eighth straight game Wednesday.

That's about it for now. I'll get back to you after the game.