Minnesota Timberwolves [16-30] @ Indiana Pacers [19-29]
| Tuesday, February 3, 2009 | Indianapolis, Indiana| Conseco Fieldhouse| 7:00 pm ET |
| TV: FSIN | Radio: WIBC 1070
Pacers Psychic Predictions Thread- viewtopic.php?f=17&t=876950
GAME PREVIEW
Minnesota Timberwolves center Al Jefferson and Indiana Pacers point guard T. J. Ford each delivered one of their best performances of the season in their most recent games. Neither player, though, could carry his team to a victory.
Jefferson looks to continue his hot streak and help the Timberwolves snap a three-game skid Tuesday night when they visit Ford and the Pacers, hoping to bounce back from their first loss in eight home contests.
Minnesota (16-30) won 10 of its first 12 games in January, showing dramatic improvement after finishing December at 6-25. Jefferson carried the team during its surge, and while he hasn’t let up, the Timberwolves didn’t fare well in a just-completed stretch of three games against contenders.
Minnesota closed January with consecutive home losses to Detroit and the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers before falling 109-101 at Boston on Sunday.
Jefferson took advantage of the absence of Kevin Garnett - for whom he was traded - to record 34 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots, connecting on 15 of his 21 field-goal attempts against his former team.
Jefferson has scored more than 30 points six times since Dec. 20 and reached that mark in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
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THE COACHES
vs. 
Jim O’Brien has 30 years of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional level. Most recently, he served as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2004-2005 season. The Philadelphia native guided the 76ers to the playoffs with a 43-39 record, a 10 win improvement from the previous season.
Kevin Mchale, Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Timberwolves took over the reigns as Head Coach for the remainder of the 2004-05 season on February 12, 2005.
Prior to coming to the Timberwolves organization, McHale played 13 seasons as a power forward for the Celtics before retiring in the spring of 1993. A first-round selection (third overall) by Boston in the 1980 NBA Draft, McHale helped lead the Celtics to three NBA championships (1981, 1984 and 1986), five Eastern Conference titles and eight Atlantic Division crowns. He was voted the NBA’s top sixth man twice (1984, 1985) and was selected to the All-NBA First Team in 1987. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team three times (1986, 1987 and 1988). The 6-10 forward/center averaged 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds in 971 career regular-season games. He shot 55.4 percent from the floor and 79.8 percent at the free throw line. In 169 postseason contests, McHale increased his averages to 18.8 points and 7.4 rebounds.
MATCH-UP
INDIANA PACERS: TJ Ford (13.8ppg, 5apg); Mike Dunleavy (15.8ppg); Danny Granger (26.2ppg, 5.1rpg); Troy Murphy (12.1ppg, 11.2rpg); Jeff Foster (6.9rpg)
Minnesota: Sebastian Telfair (7.8ppg, 4.4apg); Randy Foye (16.1ppg, 4.6apg); Ryan Gomes (11.3ppg); Criag Smith (9ppg); Al Jefferson (23.3ppg, 10.6ppg)
TOP RESERVES
Indiana: Jarrett Jack (10.8ppg); Rasho Nesterovic (8.7ppg, 4.1rpg); Brandon Rush (6.3ppg); Marquis Daniels (14.3ppg); Roy Hibbert (5.8ppg)
Minnesota: Kevin Love (9.1ppg, 8.5rpg); Rashad McCants (9.1ppg); Mike Miller (8.8ppg)
MEDICAL REPORT
Indiana: None.
Minnesota: Corey Brewer (Torn right ACL - out for season)
SCOUTING REPORTS
MINNESOTA
Al Jefferson left Boston two summers ago a 22-year-old prospect so promising he was the compensating centerpiece in the historic trade that sent Kevin Garnett to the Celtics and brought five players and two draft picks to Minnesota.
On Sunday, he returned to the arena where he played his first three NBA seasons. In a 34-point performance that wasn’t enough, he demonstrated to the fans who cheered and to the man who once coached him that he’s deserving of an All-Star Game appearance that has thus far eluded him.
Doc Rivers huddled with his Celtics coaches Sunday morning to consider the day’s opponent and ended up evaluating Jefferson.
“We were discussing who’s a better post player than Al, and we had zero names,” said Rivers, who coached Jefferson during his first three NBA seasons in Boston. “(Tim) Duncan faces you up a lot. But just low-post, back-to-the-basket scorers? In the league, there’s just not a lot of them.
“If you go by that criteria, you’re probably an All-Star. Not if you can’t come up with more than two or three names, and we didn’t.”
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INDIANA
The Pacers’ attempt to move point guard Jamaal Tinsley before the Feb. 19 trade deadline is running out.
They’re still having conversations with teams, as they’ve been doing since last summer, but they’ve yet to generate much interest in the last three-plus months.
Two of the major problems the Pacers face is that Tinsley still has two years left on his contract after this season, and he hasn’t played in a game in more than a year.
Pacers officials continue to say Tinsley is in shape, but that’s somewhat hard to believe considering he had a difficult time staying in shape when he actually played.
Tinsley hasn’t been around the team since last April, and he had his stuff sent to him in Atlanta during the summer. He’s not in the team’s media guide even though he’s technically still on the roster.
The Pacers will be starting over in their attempt to trade Tinsley next summer if they can’t find a taker by the deadline.
Knicks 122, Pacers 113: The Knicks used the 3-point shot to put an end to the Pacers’ seven-game home winning streak. New York was 15 of 34 from long distance. The Pacers didn’t have much offense outside of point guard T.J. Ford. Ford, who recently moved back into the starting lineup, scored a career-high 36 points to go with his five assists and four rebounds. Forward Danny Granger added 19 points, but he went just 6-for-17 from the field.
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TRADITION
