GAMENIGHT

 Brooklyn Nets (25-16) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (17-21)

Target Center 8:00

TV: YES – RADIO: WFAN 660 AM/101.9 FM

The Brooklyn Nets are looking for some revenge from an early season collapse to the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight.  The Nets came out strong and scored 62 first half points to build a nice lead in the first game and went to halftime leading 62-47 with the team clicking.  That lead did not last.

The Timberwolves chipped away little by little in the second half and went into the final quarter down by 11 points and with the momentum.  Chase Budinger (13 points) and Andrei Kirilenko (16 points, nine rebounds, six assists) outplayed the Nets’ frontcourt in the second half and the Timberwolves ended the game shooting 50 percent for the game.  The Timberwolves outscored the Nets 32-10 in the fourth quarter and ran away with the game 107-96 to stun the Nets at home.

Deron Williams led the Nets with 18 points and 13 assists but it wasn’t enough with the frontcourt being dominated the way they were.  Brook Lopez (13 points and eight rebounds) was manhandled by Nikola Pekovic (21 points and seven rebounds) in the post and the Nets as a team were out-rebounded 45 to 29.

The Nets will try to avoid a ninth straight road loss to the Timberwolves tonight and come away with a big road win along with some revenge.  The Timberwolves will be without Kevin Love as well as Pekovic, Alexey Schved and Budinger so the opportunity is there to grab a second win on this current four game road trip.

Joe  Johnson likes the direction that the Nets are moving right now but knows there is a long way to go as a team.  The win over the New York Knicks will help the teams confidence for sure.
[quote_box]”It’s a confidence booster for us,” Johnson said. “It just goes to show we’ve come a long way and we’re still trying to get better.”[/quote_box]
Matchup of the Game:  Nets Third Quarter vs Timberwolves Third Quarter

Both teams have had problems with the infamous “third quarter” and whichever team comes out and solves this problem may very well come away with the win.  The Nets have done much better in January with their focus coming out after halftime but the Timberwolves have not.  The Timberwolves have been hurt badly by the third quarter and have yet to figure out why or how to rectify the problem.

Nets:

Tyshawn Taylor and Tornike Shengelia (D-League assignment).

Timberwolves:

Chase Budinger (left knee) is out

Kevin Love (right hand) is out

Nikola Pekovic  (right thigh contusion) is out

Alexey Shved (sprained left ankle) is out

Malcolm Lee (right knee) is out