Sixers Welcome Minnesota To Town
By Matt Leon & Spike Eskin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Sixers bring a 10-7 record into tonight's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Sixers are returning home after splitting a pair of games on a mini-road trip. They won in Charlotte on Friday night, before falling in Chicago on Saturday.
Philadelphia has four players averaging double-figure points these days, with guard Jrue Holiday leading the way at 18.5 a contest. Evan Turner will look to get back on track tonight, after perhaps the best six-game shooting stretch of his career, Turner shot just 6-17 in Saturday's loss to Chicago.
Minnesota is led by one of the best players in the NBA, center/forward Kevin Love who is averaging 21.7 points and 15.3 rebounds a game this season - although he has only played in the last six after missing the first part of the season with a hand injury. The Timberwolves are 2-4 since since Love's return.
The assignment of guarding Love will largely be Thad Young's, who put on 20 pounds of muscle during the off-season in order to battle players like Love. Help could come from Lavoy Allen, who after a slow start appears to be finding his game, averaging 10 points and nine rebounds in his last two games.
Minnesota is also eagerly awaiting the return of point guard Ricky Rubio. The Sixers will dodge that bullet tonight, but Rubio has returned to running and practice, and his return seems imminent.
Last season, the Sixers lost their only match-up with the Timberwolves, falling 92-91 in Minnesota.
The Timberwolves are 7-8. They have been idle since Friday night when they beat Milwaukee at home, 95-85.
KYW's Matt Leon spoke with Bob Cooney, Sixers beat writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, to get his insight into this match-up.
LISTEN: Matt Leon interviews Bob Cooney
You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.
