You heard it here first: last night the Wolves trounced the Lakers and earned a blowout victory, Rubio scored a triple double, and a 22-game, 6-ish year streak came to an end. Fantastic game. But a little bit less satisfying than beating the Lakers at "full strength: (read: Kobe in the lineup, surrounded by the same garbage, otherwise known as a completely beatable team).
Thus tonight the Wolves face their 2nd back-to-back of the season. The first time around on night 2 @ CLE, the starters began the game flat in the first quarter, allowed high-energy Cleveland to get ahead, which resulted in the Wolves never quite being able to get back into it until the very end (mostly a result of Brewer being awesome and Cleveland being not awesome), where JJ Barea fumbled the ball late and our chances of a victory tumbled along with it. It is games like that that will hurt in April if the Wolves are still vying for playoff positioning.
That being said, barring a minor miracle, I expect the tables may turn tonight. Adelman's game plan is clear: start the game playing at a crazy pace, shooting as many 3's as possible in order to build a large lead, then slow it down a bit in the half court in an effort to maintain the momentum through the remaining 3 quarters. Get Pek involved, get Ricky his looks, balance the scoring, etc. Thus far, it has worked. Many people lauded the Martin signing, but as of now it is looking like his production will vastly outpace what AK47 did last year. Dare I say it, but having to pick between the two, especially considering AK is facing another injury-riddled season in struggling Brooklyn, I am thrilled with having Martin on the squad vs. AK.
The Clippers will be a challenge. A back to back win in LA would be monumental and would turn a heck of a lot of heads. It will be tough. The Clippers, though 4-3 have had a brutal schedule to start and this is just their 3rd home game of the season. I suspect they will be comfortable, hungry, and very well may return any hot start in kind with 2 of their own wing sharpshooter out there. In addition, DAJ, much improved this year, has always been a bothersome matchup for Pekovic. And there is that Chris Paul Guy. And Griffin. I hate to rain on the parade, but it would be a shocker if the Wolves emerged tonight with a win. I don't think Wednesday's rematch against Cleveland will bring similar results.
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