Minnesota Sports Forum

We've heard/read all the scheduling gripes. They are what they are. Eventually, a playoff team has to simply beat mediocre teams in any situation. Tonight is one of those games:

- Boston has been at home since last Tuesday night (12/10).
- They've had two days to rest at home since their last win.
- They're winning basically with mirrors and cadavers, which indicates good coaching.
- The Wolves are at the end of a back-to-back on the road, amid a road trip... with the closest thing it has to a "rivalry" game looming at home on Wednesday.
- The starting SG is injured and might not play?

The built-in excuses are there. NBA players love to take those when available. The better players/teams refuse to take the bait.

Say all you want about it being one game... I think it's sort of an important game for the Wolves if they really want to be taken seriously.

I agree Abe. Like you said, playoff teams simply has to beat mediocre teams in any situation.

This game will be good for a "state of our team" assessment. If we lose this game, then our team, right now, might be ready to fight for the last playoff spot. If we win this game, then right now, we are a team that is good enough to win back to back road games, and is good enough to secure their playoff spot before the very end of the season.

I'm hoping the this team just bothers to beat a team that it should beat on the road.

I don't think we should be overconfident, but let's remember that this is the same team we destroyed by 18 exactly a month ago on the second half of a B2B (we played Denver the night before).

The Celtics didn't get bigger down low within that month and they didn't get Rondo back. I don't see any possible way that the Wolves lose tonight unless everyone plays like shit.

Like I always say, feed Pek and feed him early. A month ago this matchup helped him out of a slump. Get Pek smashing at the beginning and there's a good chance that we could see Dieng and Price in the 4th at some point.

Camden wrote:I don't think we should be overconfident, but let's remember that this is the same team we destroyed by 18 exactly a month ago on the second half of a B2B (we played Denver the night before).

The Celtics didn't get bigger down low within that month and they didn't get Rondo back. I don't see any possible way that the Wolves lose tonight unless everyone plays like shit.

Like I always say, feed Pek and feed him early. A month ago this matchup helped him out of a slump. Get Pek smashing at the beginning and there's a good chance that we could see Dieng and Price in the 4th at some point.

I had to chuckle.

This one is a coin toss I think. We are by far the better team, but there are all sorts of reasons we don't win tonight.

1) The wise guy betters like the Celtics. Line opened at Wolves-4, and it's moved down to 2 or 1 1/2, so the smart betters know something. This could be because of the next factor.
2) Kevin Martin didn't look very good on the bench last night. He either doesn't play tonight, or he plays hurt.
3) Boston is rested, Wolves are BTB
4) Boston has won 6 of 10, and has a better record at home than the Wolves do on the road
5) Boston is one of the best 3-point defending teams in the league.
6) Portland is probably our most bitter rival, so there may be some looking ahead tonight
7) Boston is much improved over the team we faced early in the season, as they seem to be adjusting to their new coach.

So, lots of reasons we lose tonight. All that said, we are better than they are. Hence, Abe's post that this is an important game for us. As I said before, I'm more worried about tonight than Portland on Wednesday. I think we learn a lot about the Wolves tonight.

markkbu wrote:

Camden wrote:I don't think we should be overconfident, but let's remember that this is the same team we destroyed by 18 exactly a month ago on the second half of a B2B (we played Denver the night before).

The Celtics didn't get bigger down low within that month and they didn't get Rondo back. I don't see any possible way that the Wolves lose tonight unless everyone plays like shit.

Like I always say, feed Pek and feed him early. A month ago this matchup helped him out of a slump. Get Pek smashing at the beginning and there's a good chance that we could see Dieng and Price in the 4th at some point.

I had to chuckle.

Overconfident meaning the players. I think we (the team) came out overconfident against the Sixers and had to overcome it to get a win. As a fan, I don't see how we lose tonight unless the above said happens.

My fault for the two statements crossing each other out. I should have been more specific in how I wanted that to come off.

LST, Minnesota shot 7-23 from deep last time we played Boston. Just goes to show that we can win without shooting well from behind the arc. Your stat on their perimeter defense is true, though.

Also, the Celtics are 2-7 against the West and their wins are against Denver and Utah. We should beat them tonight.

I agree, we should be posting up Love and Pek early and often and try to get these guys in major foul trouble early. If they are so good at defending the 3, it means they don't double often and let their bigs fend for themselves in the post. Good. That plays right into our hands. I'd rather not see Brewer chucking up bricks anyway!

Its the 240th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. No way the wolves win tonight. History will repeat itself and the stronger side will lose tonight

Looks like K-Mart won't play tonight. I'm fine with that. I'd rather him get whatever he has wrong with him right. Hopefully he'll play Wednesday.