The new year has seemed to turn the Minnesota Timberwolves into a new team.
The surging Timberwolves look to remain perfect in 2009 when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.
Minnesota (10-25) scored a season high in winning 129-87 over lowly Oklahoma City at home Wednesday to improve to 4-0 in January. The Timberwolves, who haven’t won more than 33 games in each of the last three seasons, last won five in a row from Dec. 2-10, 2005.
“It’s just great to be talking about these wins,” said Randy Foye, who matched a career high with 32 points in the second most lopsided victory in franchise history.
“Early on we lost 13 in a row and I was getting tired of the same old broken record - we’re getting better, we’re getting better. Now we’re saying we’re getting better and I know (people) can see it.”
Minnesota is 6-2 since that 13-game losing streak and Foye has helped kick-start the successful run, especially of late. The third-year guard is averaging 15.4 points per game on the season and 25.3 in his last three contests.
Foye also scored 32 points on 13-of-18 shooting in the Timberwolves’ 110-101 overtime home victory over Milwaukee on April 16 in the teams’ most recent meeting.
Minnesota, which didn’t win its 11th game last season until Feb. 19, is also playing well defensively, giving up 88.7 points per contest during its last three games, well below its 101.7 season average for points allowed.
“They’re confident and they’re feeling good about playing basketball again,” Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale said. “It’s no fun when you’re getting stomped.”
Al Jefferson added 21 points and 13 rebounds, while rookie Kevin Lowe had 16 and tied a career high with 15 boards against the Thunder. Averaging 8.4 points and 8.1 rebounds on the season, Love is averaging 14.8 and 10.5 boards in the last four contests.
Looking for their fourth straight win at home, the Timberwolves try for a second in a row overall against Milwaukee after losing four in a row to the Bucks.
Milwaukee (18-20) enters this contest coming off a dramatic 104-102 home victory over New Jersey on Friday. Luke Ridnour’s 5-foot floater with 0.5 seconds clinched the victory for the Bucks, who have alternated wins and losses in their last eight games.
“I just tried to go at it and attack it. I was able to get a good look off of it,” Ridnour said. “I threw it up soft.”
Despite being held scoreless for a 31-minute span, Michael Redd finished with 24 points, Charlie Villanueva added 23 and Richard Jefferson was held to 13 in his first game versus his former team.
Redd is averaging 24.6 points on 51.3 percent shooting in his last seven games and 20.6 in 14 contests versus Minnesota, but was held to two points in the Bucks’ most recent meeting with the Timberwolves.
Villanueva, meanwhile, is averaging 24.7 points off the bench in his last three contests overall.
Milwaukee, which is 7-14 on the road this season, has dropped eight of its last nine visits to Minnesota.
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