 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins shoots the game-winning buzzer-beater Tuesday in Phoenix. Matt York/Associated Press |
Highlights Video :
After a bumpy start to the season under new coach Tom Thibodeau, Minnesota is beginning to figure things out on both sides of the ball. Though the Timberwolves’ overall record of 17-28 might not appear inspiring, Thibodeau’s squad has won three straight.
In fact, Minnesota is 6-2 in its last eight games, including Tuesday’s 112-111 win over Phoenix that was capped by an Andrew Wiggins buzzer-beater.
The last-second dagger by Wiggins put the finishing touches on his 31-point night, which elevated Minnesota to just 2 1/2 games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
“In the fourth quarter, you have to have the courage to take and make, and he does,” Thibodeau told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune about Wiggins, now in his third season with the Timberwolves. “So the more he does it, the more comfortable he’s going to get. We all have a lot of confidence in him.”
Minnesota, a team hoping to make the postseason for the first time since 2004, will face off Thursday against an Indiana Pacers squad trying to hold onto its spot in the top eight teams in the East. The Pacers are trending in the opposite direction as Minnesota, having lost their last three games to drop to .500 (22-22).
Indiana’s latest loss, a 109-103 defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks, drew boos from the Pacers fans in Indianapolis.
“They pay their money, their hard-earned money to watch us play. They got the right to do whatever they want,” Pacers star Paul George told The Indianapolis Star on Tuesday. “It doesn’t hurt me. It doesn’t hurt my feelings. Just know we work harder off of cheers than boos.”
Thursday marks the first of two meetings this season between the Pacers and Timberwolves. Indiana won both matchups against Minnesota a season ago.
The Pacers will have a newer starting lineup on Thursday. On Monday, Indiana coach Nate McMillan inserted C.J. Miles into the starting rotation in place of Glenn Robinson III. Miles scored 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field in his first start since Nov. 18.
McMillan told reporters that Miles will also start Thursday in Minneapolis, but anything past that game remains a question mark.
“(We want) to put our guys in the best position where both units are going to flow,” McMillan told The Indianapolis Star. “I don’t want to be going back and forth with lineups. I think it’s important for players to know their role.”
All three of Minnesota’s victories in its winning streak have been closely contested. According to the team, it’s the first time in franchise history the Timberwolves have won three straight games by three points or less.
Before beating the Suns by one point, the Timberwolves topped both the Nuggets and Clippers by three points each.
“Early in the season, we were down and everybody was panicking,” Minnesota center Gorgui Dieng told the Timberwolves Radio Network. “Now, you’re seeing we’re playing team basketball.”
0 Response to "Indiana Pacers vs Minnesota Timberwolves Highlights Video HD"