7:30 p.m. at San Antonio FSN, 830-AM
First of many road battles
Preview: After blowing a 14-point lead and losing 129-123 in overtime at home to Detroit on Wednesday, the Wolves embark on a stretch in which they will play six of their next seven on the road, where they are 2-12 this season. The Spurs appear to have righted the ship, winning six of seven and keeping six consecutive opponents under 100 points. That includes back-to-back blowout victories over Philadelphia and at Orlando. San Antonio is a difficult spot for the Wolves, who have lost 50 times there, more than in any other NBA city. The Wolves have lost their past 10 games there.
Players to watch: Wolves G Derrick Rose has started the past two games in place of the injured Jeff Teague. He had 33 points on 14-for-29 shooting Wednesday, with seven assists. C Karl-Anthony Towns, with 16 points and eight rebounds against the Pistons, missed out after seven consecutive double-doubles in 12 games and also went 0-for-7 on three-pointers, his first game this season without a trey. F Robert Covington is coming off a 22-point performance. The Spurs are led by G DeMar DeRozan (23.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists), C LaMarcus Aldridge (18.9 points, 9.4 rebounds) and F Rudy Gay (14.3 points).
Numbers: The Wolves have outscored their past two opponents in the paint by a total of 120-78, and are a plus-26 in rebounds. Three of the Wolves' past four opponents have hit 19 or more three-pointers.
Injuries: Wolves G Jeff Teague (left ankle) is out. Spurs F Pau Gasol (foot) and G Dejounte Murray (knee) are out.
kent youngblood
