7 p.m. vs. Portland • Target Center • FSN, 830-AM
Injuries enable Wolves to welcome Australian to fold
Wolves update: The Timberwolves should have their newest member, Mitch Creek, joining the team in advance of Monday's game. The team signed the 6-5 swingman from Australia to a 10-day contract after the NBA declared the Wolves had sustained enough injuries to be granted a hardship exception to sign Creek. … With Taj Gibson injured because of a strained left calf, Gorgui Dieng has reclaimed a spot in the rotation. Dieng has responded in a big way over the past two games, scoring 14 points against Golden State on Friday and 13 against the 76ers on Saturday. He has shot 13-for-19 in those two games. … SG Cameron Reynolds came off the bench to score 10 points against Philadelphia, his second-highest point total since joining the Wolves.
Trail Blazers update: The playoff-bound Trail Blazers are trying to reconfigure their team in light of a serious injury to C Jusuf Nurkic, who suffered compound fractures in his left fibula and tibia last Monday. … G Damian Lillard entered Sunday 10th in the league in scoring at 26.2 points per game, helping Portland to the league's fourth-best offensive rating this season (113.1 points per 100 possessions). He is shooting 37 percent from three-point range. His backcourt partner, C.J. McCollum, is shooting 38 percent but is not on this road trip because of a knee injury. … Portland takes the NBA's sixth-most field-goal attempts in the restricted area at 32.3 attempts per game.
Chris Hine
