National Basketball Association
Minnesota 111, Phoenix 107
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 29, 2012
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Officials:
#16 David Guthrie, #44 Eli Roe, #33 Zach Zarba
Attendance:
19356
By SportsDirect Inc.
Timberwolves 111, Suns 107: Nikola Pekovic had 28 points and 11 rebounds while Kevin Love and Alexey Shved also recorded double-doubles as host Minnesota defeated Phoenix for just the second time in the last 12 meetings.
Love collected 23 points and 18 rebounds and Shved added 12 points and 10 assists for the Timberwolves, who moved above .500 after snapping a two-game losing streak.
Luis Scola recorded a season-high 33 points and 10 rebounds, Shannon Brown added 21 points and Goran Dragic returned from a one-game absence to secure his third double-double of the season. Dragic finished with 16 points and 12 assists for the Suns, who have dropped five in a row overall and eight straight on the road.
With the teams rapidly exchanging buckets in the fourth quarter, Pekovic answered Scola's 17-foot jumper with a layup to give Minnesota a 107-106 lead with 1:37 remaining.
Shved extended the cushion to three by making three of his final four free throws and Dante Cunningham came up with a steal on an inbound pass with seven seconds left to seal the win.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Minnesota G Brandon Roy once again is experiencing pain in his right knee and will explore additional treatment options. Roy, who has previously retired on one occasion, said that his "goal has been, and continues to be, to return to the court as healthy as possible." ... Minnesota G Ricky Rubio was a late scratch because of back spasms. ... Phoenix's Michael Beasley struggled in his return against his former team. He shot 1-for-8 from the field and finished with two points.
Top Game Performances
| Phoenix |
|
Minnesota |
|
Luis Scola 33 |
Scoring |
Nikola Pekovic 28 |
|
Goran Dragic 12 |
Assists |
Alexey Shved 10 |
|
Luis Scola 10 |
Rebounds |
Kevin Love 18 |
|
Goran Dragic 8 |
Free Throws Made |
Kevin Love 5 |
|
Marcin Gortat 2 |
Steals |
Dante Cunningham 1 |
|
Marcin Gortat 2 |
Blocks |
Nikola Pekovic 1 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Phoenix
|
107 |
46.4 |
2-17 |
15-24 |
29 |
46 |
5 |
7 |
5 |
| Minnesota
|
111 |
50.6 |
5-18 |
16-26 |
27 |
51 |
3 |
2 |
10 |
Upcoming Games
-
Minnesota will play their next game on the road against Utah. The Timberwolves have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .538 after a loss.
-
Phoenix will play their next game on the road against Oklahoma City. The Suns have a W/L % of .417 after a win and .316 after a loss.
For more information, contact us