Timberwolves-Bobcats Preview

By JORDAN GARRETSON
Posted Jan 26 2013 12:59AM

The Charlotte Bobcats are nearing an NBA record for ineptitude with 16 straight home losses. The Minnesota Timberwolves have dropped 10 of 11 on the road, including six in a row.

One of those streaks will come to an end Saturday night when the Bobcats host the Timberwolves.

Charlotte owns the league's worst overall record at 10-32 after losing its last three games, but most concerning has been the team's play at home. The Bobcats haven't won a game at Time Warner Cable Arena since Nov. 21, when they improved to 5-2 on their own court.

Three more consecutive defeats at home would tie the NBA record set by Dallas during the 1993-94 season.

"It's bad because you want to win in front of the fans," said Ramon Sessions, who scored a season-high 27 points in a 104-92 home loss to Atlanta on Wednesday. "... We just have to get it together here at home. We just have to get ready and try to play good for 48 minutes."

Ben Gordon scored 15 points off the bench against the Hawks, but aside from that, Sessions didn't receive much help offensively. Kemba Walker had only 11 on 4-of-11 shooting with five turnovers, two days after scoring a career-high 35 against Houston.

Coach Mike Dunlap said he's keeping his emotions in check for the sake of what the Bobcats are trying to build.

"The frustration is high," Dunlap said Wednesday. "When you're in charge, and I'm in charge, that frustration has to be handled the right way. ... We're doing certain things here and unfortunately we're going to have nights like this."

Poor defense and a growing injury list have been the main culprits for the Timberwolves (17-23) as they've lost eight of nine.

Minnesota's defense didn't show any signs of improvement Friday in a 114-101 loss at Washington. The Wizards, who average 91.5 points on 42.1 percent shooting, shot 57.8 percent from the floor.

"You can't just give them all the credit for their shooting," Luke Ridnour told the league's official website. "They did shoot the ball well, but we didn't play good defense."

It was nothing new for the Timberwolves, who are allowing 100.8 points per game on 50.3 percent shooting in their last nine games. They've allowed 104 or more six times over that span.

Ricky Rubio had another rough night Friday with four points on 1-of-8 shooting along with six assists and five turnovers. He apologized to acting coach Terry Porter because of an outburst over the team's loss to Brooklyn on Wednesday, when Rubio sat on the bench for the final minutes of a 91-83 defeat.

"I don't think it was ever really an issue," said Porter, who is filling in while Rick Adelman tends to his sick wife. "He was frustrated like any player would be who wants to be playing the fourth quarter."

Injuries forced the Timberwolves to play Friday without Kevin Love, Brandon Roy, Malcolm Lee, Chase Budinger, Nikola Pekovic and Alexey Shved.

Pekovic (quad contusion) and Shved (sprained ankle) should return soon, but didn't travel on this two-game road trip.

Charlotte has won nine of the last 12 meetings, including an 89-87 victory Nov. 14 behind Walker's 22 points. Andrei Kirilenko scored a season-high 26 on 9-of-12 shooting for Minnesota in the loss.

Bobcats slip past Timberwolves, 102-101

By STEVE REED
Posted Jan 26 2013 11:52PM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) For the first time in more than two months, there were smiles and laughter throughout the Charlotte Bobcats locker room following a home game.

The Bobcats' long home losing streak had finally ended.

Gerald Henderson made a 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left to lift the Bobcats to a 102-101 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night, snapping a 16-game home losing streak.

The Bobcats streak was stopped two losses short of the NBA record held by the 1993-94 Dallas Mavericks.

"I saw the clock," Henderson said. "I kind of grabbed the ball with about five seconds. I knew I had some time. I just threw it up there and it went in. It feels great to end that streak."

Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 25 points and Ramon Sessions finished with 23 as the Bobcats won at home for the first time since Nov. 21. Henderson finished with 15 points.

Luke Ridnour had a season-high 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead Minnesota, which has lost nine of 10.

Henderson's game-winner capped a frantic final 29 seconds after Ricky Rubio put the Timberwolves up 101-99 with a reverse layup.

The Bobcats were struggling to get a shot off before the 24-second shot clock expired.

At one point Henderson drove the lane and lost control of the ball, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had to save it from going out of bounds by throwing it back in. Walker tried to set up again, but the ball bounced off J.J. Barea's knee and into the backcourt.

With time running down, Walker retrieved the ball and passed it to Henderson, who pump-faked to avoid a leaping Andrei Kirilenko and then gathered himself briefly to swish the 3-pointer.

"Man, I didn't think he had time to get it off," Walker said. "He pump-faked. I didn't know if it was going in or not but he really took his time and he had a chance to gather himself. He shot it with confidence and it went in."

The Timberwolves had a chance to win the game but Barea failed to get a shot off as time expired and wound up on the floor. Acting Timberwolves coach Terry Porter and Berea argued the call with officials at midcourt, pleading that Berea was fouled by Walker as he attempted the shot.

"There was some contact there and they didn't think there was enough to call a foul," Porter said. "Four seconds is plenty of time to get an opportunity to get it off."

Porter called Henderson's game-winner after a frantic battle for the ball "just one of those fluke things."

"They were scrambling for the ball. We were scrambling for the ball," Porter said. "We had two guys on (Walker) and he found a passing lane to get it to Henderson and in a low clock situation had to turn and shoot and he made it. That's just one of those things."

Despite playing without two starters and six players overall, the Timberwolves jumped out to a 29-11 lead less than nine minutes into the game. Ridnour hit a pair of 3-pointers and Greg Stiemsma gave the Bobcats fits inside, three times getting free for uncontested alley-oop dunks.

Stiemsma had 10 points and six rebounds in the first eight minutes but struggled to produce after that, finishing with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Looking to generate something offensively, Charlotte coach Mike Dunlap went with a small lineup that included the 6-foot-5 Henderson at power forward. The Bobcats managed to cut the lead to 11 at the break and then to four at the end of the third quarter.

Charlotte opened the fourth quarter with a flurry, going on an 18-6 run as Walker and Sessions began to take charge.

"I was thinking to put the guys on the floor that are playing well and I didn't care if they were 5-foot-nothing," Dunlap said. "I just said let's find five that can make that push."

The Bobcats tied the game at 79 after a Minnesota turnover and a Walker steal led to a pair of fastbreak layups for Sessions. Walker gave the Bobcats their first lead of the game on a pull-up jumper from 18 feet with just over 10 minutes to play.

Charlotte increased its lead to eight, but the Timberwolves battled back to tie the game behind back-to-back 3-pointers from Ridnour and Berea.

Barea finished with 19 points and Rubio had a season-high 14 points and eight assists.

The 18-point deficit was the largest the Bobcats have overcome this season.

NOTES: Bismack Biyombo had his third double-double of the season for the Bobcats, finishing with 10 points and 13 rebounds. ... The Bobcats shot a season high 50.7 percent from the field. ... Charlotte outrebounded Minnesota 38-30.

Notebook: Bobcats 102, Timberwolves 101

Derek S. Smith, for NBA.com
Posted Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:15 AM - Updated Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:15 AM

THE FACTS: Kemba Walker scored a game-high 25 points and Gerald Henderson sank a game-winning three-point basket as the Charlotte Bobcats rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 102-101 Saturday night at Time Warner Cable Arena. Luke Ridnour had 22 points to lead the Timberwolves, who have now lost nine of their last 10.

QUOTABLE: "It was kinda crazy out there. I got the pass from Kemba and it was just a crazy shot. It feels great. It was a big play for us obviously. It was a big weight off of our back. We were happy to get a win at home."

-- Henderson

THE STAT: The Bobcats finally snapped their home losing streak. Charlotte had lost 16 straight at Time Warner Cable Arena. The last win prior to Saturday was Nov. 21 when the Bobcats defeated Toronto 98-97.Charlotte was on the cusp of setting the league mark for home futility which was 19 straight home losses by the Dallas Mavericks during the 1993-94 campaign. The Bobcats opened the season 5-2 at home and are now 6-18.

TURNING POINT: The Bobcats took control and gained momentum early in the fourth quarter. Walker hit a 3-pointer with 8:52 to play for an 84-81 lead. J.J. Barea missed a short jumper on the ensuing Minnesota possession. Ramon Sessions scored a pair of his 23 points at the free throw line to extend the Bobcats lead to 86-81 and close out a 13-4 run to open the fourth.

HOT: Sessions continues to be on a hot streak for the Bobcats. Sessions finished with 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the floor and 9-for-10 shooting at the free throw line and added four assists and three rebounds. Sessions is averaging 23.0 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds over the last three games and shooting 54.8 percent (23-of-42) from the floor and 91.7 percent (22-of-24) from the free throw line.

NOT: Starting power forwards. The Bobcats and Timberwolves power forwards were a big disappointment Saturday in Charlotte. Derrick Williams got the start for the Timberwolves and played just 18 minutes and scored just five points with two rebounds and two turnovers. Hakim Warrick got the start for the Bobcats and was even less productive with two points and no rebounds in less than four minutes of playing time.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Walker had an outstanding game for the Bobcats with a game-best 25 points. He added eight rebound and eight assists as well in the victory and picked up three steals and two blocked shots. Walker has scored 25 or more in three of the last five games and has scored in double figures for the 14th straight game.

ROOKIE WATCH: Rough night for the rookies in Charlotte. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist played just 15 minutes due to foul trouble and scored just two points with no rebounds. Jeffery Taylor had three points and two rebounds. Alexey Shved for Minnesota was one of six Timberwolves to miss the game due to injury.

NOTABLE: The 18-point deficit which Charlotte overcame was the largest deficit overcome to win a game this season. Charlotte shot a season-high 50.7 percent from the floor. Ben Gordon scored in double figures for the 12th time in the last 15 games and 24th time this season. Bismack Biyombo had his third double-double of the season and grabbed double-figure rebounds for the second consecutive game. He has also blocked at least two shots in eight of the last 10 games. ... Henderson scored in double figures for the sixth time in the last eight games. Ridnour scored a season-high 22 points, marking his third game with 20-plus points this season. Ricky Rubio had a season-high 14 points and dished out eight assists. Andrei Kirilenko scored in double figures for the 29th time this season while J.J. Barea scored in double figures for the 24th time. Kirilenko was forced out of the game on the first play and had to get stitches after he had blood dripping down the side of his face. Rubio also left the game in the third quarter with a right thigh contusion. Both players did return for Minnesota.

UP NEXT: For the Timberwolves, Wednesday vs. L.A. Clippers, Friday vs. L.A. Lakers, Saturday vs. New Orleans. For the Bobcats, Monday @ Chicago, Wednesday @ San Antonio, Saturday @ Houston.

• Timberwolves: Budinger, Lee, Roy
• Bobcats: Mullens

• Timberwolves: --
• Bobcats: Gordon

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
• Officials: #49 Tom Washington, #56 Mark Ayotte, #74 Curtis Blair
• Attendance: 15397
• Duration: 2:21