Timberwolves Schedule 2012: Minnesota Travels To Portland Saturday

As of Friday afternoon, the Minnesota Timberwolves stood a game and a half back of the Denver Nuggets for the final Western Conference playoff spot, with one team sandwiched in between the two of them: the Portland Trail Blazers.

Well, the 'Wolves will have a chance to hop over the Blazers in the standings when they travel to Portland for a Saturday night match-up. It won't be easy, of course, as Portland is a strong home team, and it's also happened to have won 16 straight games against Minnesota. Both teams have Friday night off, so fatigue shouldn't be an issue for either.

Speculation will also continue surrounding the future of Michael Beasley over the weekend, as the mercurial forward is seen by many as a potential trade target. Recent talk has surrounded around both Boston and New Jersey as potential landing spots for Beasley, who is viewed as expendable because of Minnesota's depth at the small and power forward spots. While it's unlikely he'll be moved this weekend, it's worth keeping an eye on his situation as the March 15th trade deadline approaches.

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Timberwolves Vs. Magic: Minnesota Gets Shot Down In Orlando

The Minnesota Timberwolves were able to hang with the Orlando Magic off and on during Monday night's game on NBA TV, but Kevin Love and friends were never able to capitalize on the momentum shifts. That led to a road loss, unfortunately, as the Wolves dropped a 102-89 decision to Dwight Howard and Co. at the Amway Center.

Love led the Wolves with 19 points and 15 rebounds, five on the offensive end, but it wasn't enough as the Magic took care of the ball and played the game at the pace they wanted to play. Nikola Pekovic was a bright spot once again, however, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 boards while putting Dwight Howard in foul trouble early.

Howard was still a factor in limited minutes, however, as he grabbed seven rebounds and scored 11 points -- though the majority of his production came against Darko Milicic s opposed to Big Pek.

The Magic turned the ball over nine times compared to the Timberwolves 18 giveaways, but their three-point shooting was key as well. Four of their five starters hit at least two shots from beyond the arc while J.J. Redick had a pair, too -- one of which was a dagger late in the game, ending the Wolves last comeback attempt.

On the downside for Minnesota, J.J. Barea and Ricky Rubio combined to turn the ball over 12 times compared to compiling just nine assists. Michael Beasley couldn't get it going, either, as he shot just 2-of-8 from beyond the arc on his way to 13 points.

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Timberwolves Vs. Magic Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Nikola Peković Show returns to televisions everywhere tonight when the Minnesota Timberwolves head to Orlando to play the Magic. Pekovic, who has been on an offensive tear his last six games, will face the stiffest test the NBA has to offer: a matchup with Orlando center Dwight Howard, who has already compiled 22 double-doubles this season.

The 26-year old center put up 21 points and 13 rebounds in Minnesota's last game, though another stellar Jeremy Lin effort overshadowed everything. If Pekovic can again post another solid effort against the greatest defensive big man of the generation, it'll go a long way to proving his production is sustainable.

Location: Amway Center, Orlando, FL.

Date and Time: Monday, February 13, 6:00 p.m.

TV: Locally: FS North. Nationally: NBA TV

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Timberwolves Vs. Magic NBA Preview: Kevin Love, Dwight Howard Looking To Lead Their Team To Win

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Timberwolves Schedule 2012: Minnesota Face Staggered Four Game Week

The Timberwolves face a four game week, but one with no back to backs.