Minnesota Vs Portland: Wolves Burned by Blazers

Despite grabbing two road wins, Minnesota has struggled at home throughout the month, and Monday night was no different. The Timberwolves put up a sloppy performance for a meager Valentines Day crowd, falling 95-81 to Portland. Martell Webster returned from a back injury to lead the team in scoring with 17 points.

The Blazers held Minnesota to only 39 percent from the floor, and they seemed to specifically target Kevin Love. Commissioner David Stern chose Love for the All Star game over Lamarcus Aldridge, and the forward made it his mission to stick it to his competition. Love scored only 11 points and grabbed 12 boards, barely holding onto his double-double streak.

Besides Love’s quiet night, four members of the Timberwolves lineup failed to score a single point, two of them—Corey Brewer and Jonny Flynn—being starters. Rookie Wesley Johnson, also a starter, only tallied one point for the evening.

Despite the poor performance of Minnesota’s starting lineup, one can’t ignore the bench’s efforts throughout the contest. Webster and Wayne Ellington came in as reserves, ended up playing more minutes than any of the starters and scored 17 and 13 points, respectively.

In addition, fans enjoyed the return of Luke Ridnour to the hardwood. The veteran guard added 16 points and four assists to the books.

Portland came into the Target Center energized and ready to take on Minnesota at full speed. The west coast team forced the Timberwolves into 17 turnovers that turned into 22 points for the Blazers. Wesley Matthews led his team with 23 points in 41 minutes of play.

For reasons unknown, Minnesota often seems to struggle against Portland. Its numbers dropped overall on Monday night, including total rebounds (35) and shooting percentage from the charity stripe (75).

Following the loss, the Timberwolves remain at home to host their annual “Taste of the Timberwolves” fundraiser event Tuesday evening. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Fastbreak Foundation. To learn more about the Fastbreak Foundation and its programs, visit: http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/community/fastbreak_foundation.html