Howlin' T-Wolf A Fresh Perspective and Completely Biased Blog About Everything Minnesota Timberwolves

Timberwolves : 13-38

76ers: 19-31

The last time these two teams got together, the 76ers would be embarrassed to remember the fact, the Wolves were down by as many as 20 but stormed all the way back to take the victory in extra minutes. It left the 76ers with a sour taste in their mouth indeed. And that game happened before the Wolves caught fire with their four game winning streak, which will make it tough for any sort of revenge for the 76ers. But the 76ers have their own four game win streak on the line, so one team will have to budge. Rebounding will be a key tonight, as the Wolves continue to be near the top of the league in that category (76ers rank 16th; Wolves are ranked 3rd). The second chance opportunities will give our shooters, especially Corey Brewer, enough time to find an open spot on the floor for a shot. Another key will be he bench play. It has been nothing short of fantastic and we will need that again tonight. The 76ers have a good bench as well with guys like Thaddeus Young and Rodney Carney. We will need to outplay their bench if we want to come out with a victory in this one. Overall, this should be a good, even match-up between two teams who are churning to push their team’s winning streaks to five games.

Match-ups:

Point Guard:

Jonny Flynn vs. Jrue Holiday

Flynn’s play has been terrific throughout this winning streak. He’s averaging 12 points, 6.2 assists and only 2.4 turnovers a game (he had eight against New York; the rest were all under two a game) in the past five contests. Jrue Holiday is still a player looking for his way in the NBA. It’ll take a little bit longer for him to put it together, therefore Flynn has the advantage tonight.

Advantage: Minnesota

Shooting Guard:

Corey Brewer vs. Willie Green

Green has supplied nice numbers after filling in for the missing Allen Iverson but Corey Brewer is still showing the league what he can do. He had 17 against Memphis on Saturday and has nailed a trey in 15 straight games. Brewer might be a little too much for Green to handle tonight.

Advantage: Minnesota

Small Forward:

Ryan Gomes vs. Andre Iguodala

Gomes had a strong night on Saturday with 25 points and led us to victory over a good Memphis squad. Igoudala has been shaky as of late and has struggled to find a consistent shooting stroke. He’s shooting nearly 46% from the field and only 27% from the charity stripe. Now the Wolves know who to put on the line when the game is on the line. Despite Igoudala’s shaky shooting, he’s still a top player in this league and can’t doubt his ability.

Advantage: Philadelphia

Power Forward:

Al Jefferson vs. Elton Brand

Brand has never lived up to that contract he signed with the 76ers and this year is no different. He’s scoring five points below his career average this season and has shown signs of wear and tear on his body. Jefferson is quite the contrare. He is slowly starting to establish his dominance in the middle once again and will have fun going against Brand’s lack of defensive abilities. Watch out for Dalembert coming from the other side though.

Advantage: Minnesota

Center:

Ryan Hollins vs. Samuel Dalembert

Hollins’ fairy tale run came to an end Saturday but still made an impact. He only had four points but still showed that he is in the right spot in the starting lineup by posing a problem for opposing frontcourts. Dalembert is a solid starting NBA center; a true center if I might add. He will pose a problem for the Hollins’ weakness, as the 76ers could attack him in the post all game long.

Advantage: Philadelphia