11/23/2009 - 16:37
Doubling Up
by
Matt Martino
On Saturday night at the Rose Garden in Portland, Al Jefferson posted his second consecutive game of exactly 20 points and 10 rebounds.
No. 25 also played a season high 36 minutes and added two assists and a steal, continuing his return to pre-knee surgery form.
Unfortunately, his team hasn’t shown the same progress throughout the season as they dropped their 12th straight, 106-78, to the Portland Trailblazers.
Minnesota (1-12) overcame an early 11-point deficit to pull ahead early in the third. That lead was short-lived, however, as Portland (10-5) blew the game wide-open with a 16-0 run to open up the fourth. The Wolves managed just three field goals in the final quarter.
Minnesota head coach Kurt Rambis talked about the loss to the Star-Tribune:
Afterward, Rambis praised his players, who he said played "really, really well for tremendous stretches." Asked whether he had seen progress from their first two games against Portland, he answered, "Absolutely."
No. 25’s reaction to the same question wasn’t as positive. After an initial blank stare, Al reacted:
"We lost by 30,” he said. "We played good into the second half, then we couldn't score any more in the third quarter. We couldn't make any shots."
LOVE DELAYED
Al's teammate Kevin Love will have to wait at least another two weeks before he is cleared to play.
X-rays on Friday in the Twin Cities revealed the broken bone in his left hand is healing properly and will be reevaluated in two weeks. Love is cautiously targeting mid-December for his 2009-10 debut.
"Hopefully, the bone is fully healed then and I won't miss a beat," Love told the Pioneer Press after participating in the Wolves' Sunday morning shoot-around.
Love was injured during an Oct. 16 exhibition game.
NEXT UP
The Wolves, who fell to 0-6 on the road, are a Monday loss to the Los Angeles Clippers (5-9) away from matching the 13-game winless streak of last season. Losing in Los Angeles also would equal the 1994-95 team for worst start in franchise history.
Al is well aware of the dubious mark, sarcastically replying to a question about it:
"Thanks for reminding me," Jefferson said.
No. 25 hopes to continue his domination of the Clippers in order to bring the losing to a halt.
Last year, he averaged 24 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1.5 blocks in two games against Los Angeles. He also scored 24 points against the Clippers in LA on November 2.
RELATED STORIES
A dirty dozen (St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 22, 2009)
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_13844072?source=rss
Injury hampers Timberwolves' Kevin Love's homecoming in Portland (St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 22, 2009)
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_13844516?source=rss
Blazers rule after the half (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, November 22, 2009)
http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/70721747.html?page=1&c=y
Webster's double-double helps Blazers beat down Wolves (AP, November 21, 2009)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291121022
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