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MINNEAPOLIS -- Down 19 at home to the struggling Philadelphia 76ers, the Minnesota Timberwolves season had reached a bit of crossroads as the second quarter opened.wholesale jerseys . With a brutal trip awaiting, the Wolves simply couldnt afford to drop this one. So they rolled up their sleeves and started chipping away, and the young Sixers let them right back in it. Kevin Love had 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists and the Timberwolves got solid contributions from their beleaguered bench to beat the 76ers 106-99 on Wednesday night. "It took us a long time to get into it," coach Rick Adelman said. "But then into the second quarter, into the second half, we just kind of gradually got a rhythm going and took control and they stopped." Ricky Rubio had 21 points, seven assists and five rebounds, Nikola Pekovic added 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Robbie Hummel hit a couple of big shots for the Wolves in the fourth quarter. "It showed the second unit can step up and can score," said Love, who racked up his fifth game this season with at least 25 points, 15 boards and five assists. No other player has done it once. "So I guess this was a character builder for us." Spencer Hawes had 20 points and six rebounds for the Sixers, who led 39-20 after a tremendous first quarter and had a 13-point advantage at halftime. But they turned the ball over 26 times and shot 14 free throws to Minnesotas 29. Hummel scored all 10 of his points in the fourth, including a 3-pointer that started the deciding 13-3 run. The Wolves grabbed 17 offensive rebounds to offset 38.5 per cent shooting. "We just had stats that were too insurmountable," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. "Its hard to make those types of deficits up on the road against a good team." The Wolves still trailed 86-81 with less than 9:30 to go before Hummel buried a 3 to get them started. Pekovic scored six points during the run, including a soft baseline jumper from the burly Montenegrin that put them in front 89-86. Tony Wroten had 20 points in yet another start for Sixers star rookie Michael Carter-Williams, who missed his fourth straight game with a sore right knee. James Anderson added 16 points and eight rebounds. The Sixers were surprisingly competitive early in the season, winning their first three games and beating the Miami Heat in the opener. But the pains of rebuilding have gradually started to set in, and they slumped into Target Center having lost 11 of their previous 13 games and eight in a row on the road. Perhaps taking the game for granted, the Wolves put together a lifeless performance in the first half, and the young Sixers pounced. They shot a staggering 77 per cent in the first quarter, closing it on a 20-3 run. They scored 15 fast-break points and held Minnesota to 30 per cent shooting to build the cushion. Turner and Young attacked the rim for easy layup after easy layup and Hawes hit two 3s to spread the floor, catching the Wolves totally flat-footed. Kevin Martin missed his first eight shots and the Wolves still trailed by 13 at halftime in a game they absolutely needed. The Wolves leave Thursday for a tough trip to San Antonio, Memphis and Boston and also play Portland and at the Clippers and Lakers before Christmas. "When you have a team down 20 thats coming off a back-to-back and you have the opportunity to put a stamp on it, youve got to take advantage of it," Hawes said. "Credit to them. They fought their way back." They finally showed some signs of life to start the third quarter, opening with a 13-2 run and tying the game on a 3-pointer from Rubio late in the quarter. Rubio also had three steals. The Wolves scored 27 points off those Philly turnovers to hold off the Sixers. NOTES: Wolves coach Rick Adelman said before the game that F Ronny Turiafs fractured right elbow isnt healing as quickly as the team had hoped. He said Turiaf is still "a ways away" from playing, though there is no specific timetable. ... Sixers PG Lorenzo Brown, a second-round pick of the Wolves who did not make the team out of training camp, played well with four points and six assists. jerseys from china . The 31-year-old Kobayashi had come over to the Whitecaps from J-League side Shimizu S-Pulse. He scored three goals and added four assists in 32 appearances for the club last season. nfl jerseys china . The smooth-talking, slick-fielding shortstop has spent nearly half his life with the same organization, so he turned down more money from the Milwaukee Brewers to stay in Philadelphia.TAMPA, Fla. -- The Detroit Red Wings failed in the shootout, again. Martin St. Louis scored in the sixth round of the shootout, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Red Wings 2-1 on Thursday night. Detroit has lost its last 11 shootouts, including all six this season. "Its one of those things," Detroit goalie Jonas Gustavsson said. "Its going to turn around, and then maybe were going to win five or 10 in a row in the shootout. Thats just how it goes. Weve got to find a way to do it." St. Louis netted the lone shootout goal when he beat Gustavsson to the stick side. Detroit failed this time against Ben Bishop. "Weve got to find a way to score a goal for our goalie," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "Our goalie cant shut them all out. Guys that have scored fairly easily before, their attempts look like theyre tight, too. "Weve got to change that, too." Nikita Kucherov scored for the Lightning in regulation. Kyle Quincey had the Red Wings only goal of the night. "Were finding a way, and you need to do that," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. Detroit is just 1-9, including nine straight defeats, this season in games decided in overtime or a shootout. The Red Wings were coming off a 3-2 shootout loss Tuesday at Florida. Quincey put the Red Wings up 1-0 with his first goal in 51 games, a rebound backhander from along the goal line just past the post at 15:04 of the first. The defenceman also snapped a 16-game point drought. Kucherov tied it when he beat Gustavsson from the high slot with 43.7 secconds remaining in the second.Cheap Jerseys From China. Gustavsson made a first-period save on Valtteri Filppulas in-close backhander. St. Louis sent a shot wide of the net during a short-handed breakaway early in the second. Bishop stopped a shot by Daniel Alfredsson on a 2-on-1 later in the period. An up-tempo third period featured nice saves by both goalies. Bishop made 28 saves in regulation. Gustavsson stopped 26 shots. "Both goalies are as big as a house," Babcock said. "Theres no room, and both played really well." Bishop improved to 16-5-2. "Bish is the backbone of our success," St. Louis said. "Whenever you beat Detroit, its a big one." Both teams had key players sidelined by injuries. Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard hurt a knee in practice on Wednesday and is scheduled to be evaluated Friday in Detroit. Forward Henrik Zetterberg, on the long-term injured list because of a back injury, is eligible to return Dec. 28 against Florida. The Lightning were without star centre Steven Stamkos, who hopes to return in February from a broken right leg. Defenceman Victor Hedman will be out at least another week due to a lower-body injury. NOTES: Detroit senior vice-president Jimmy Devellano and Chicago senior adviser Scotty Bowman, who won three championships as coach of the Red Wings, were at the game. The two Hockey Hall of Fame members have a combined 20 Stanley Cup rings. ... Tampa Bay RW Richard Panik served the first game of a two-game suspension for a hit Tuesday on Washington D Karl Alzner. ' ' ' |
