MINNEAPOLIS -- The struggling Minnesota Timberwolves finally got to blow off some steam.
[b]Bart Starr Jersey[/b] . Nikola Pekovic had 27 points and 14 rebounds in three quarters and the Timberwolves blasted the Utah Jazz, 98-72 on Saturday night. Kevin Love had 18 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, and Kevin Martin scored 20 points to help the Wolves snap a three-game losing streak that included losses to Sacramento and Toronto. The Wolves scored 28 points off 16 Utah turnovers and outscored the Jazz 50-18 in the paint for a much-needed blowout. Alec Burks scored 18 points for the Jazz, who trailed by as many as 36 points and shot 28.8 per cent, the worst shooting night in franchise history. Derrick Favours had eight points and 10 boards, but was just 3 for 10 from the field. The Timberwolves hit a season-low three games under .500 with a dispiriting loss in Toronto on Friday night, and a season that started with playoff aspirations was threatening to be done in by a lack of team chemistry and an inability to win close games. They are 0-11 this season in games decided by four points or less, but also lead the league in games in which theyve led by at least 30 points (10). The Jazz were playing again without leading scorer Gordon Hayward, who was out with a strained left hip flexor. And theyve never missed him more. The Jazz missed 20 of their first 26 shots against the team with the worst field goal percentage defence in the league. With just under nine minutes to play in the first half, Favours went up for a dunk but didnt make it high enough and was rejected by the rim. He grabbed the ball, went straight up again, and missed another dunk off the back iron. Incredibly, it only got worse from there. The Jazz made two field goals in the entirety of their nine-point second quarter and went into halftime trailing by 28 points. They went 8 for 39 in the first two quarters, just 20.5 per cent, and managed a season-low 23 points, the second-lowest scoring half for a Wolves opponent in franchise history. How bad was it? Pekovic and Martin combined for 39 points midway through the third quarter. The Jazz had 37. The Timberwolves werent exactly on fire, either. They shot 44 per cent in the first half and missed eight of 19 free throws. But if any team needed a gimme like this one, it was the Wolves. They had lost four of their previous five games to fall to 11th in the Western Conference and were fighting discord in the locker room and plummeting confidence on the court. That all changed on Saturday night, with Love and Pekovic rough-housing on the sideline, Martin playing with an aggression that hasnt been seen for a few weeks and Ricky Rubio playing with a hop in his step and a smile on his face for the first time in a month. Rubio had six points, nine assists and eight rebounds in 26 minutes. Promising rookie Trey Burke had just nine points on 2-for-10 shooting for Utah. NOTES: The Jazzs previous franchise low for field goal percentage was 29.3 per cent against New York on Nov. 14, 2005. ... Love hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter that moved him past Wally Szczerbiak for second on the franchises career list. ... The teams meet again in Utah on Tuesday.
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[b]Tyler Lancaster Jersey[/b] .ca presents a week long look at some of the teams and stories that will shape the up coming campaign.San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Tom Brady has Philip Rivers number. Its that simple. Brady threw for 317 yards with two touchdowns and an interception as the New England Patriots defeated the San Diego Chargers, 23-14, on Sunday night. New Englands signal-caller improved to 6-0 all-time against Rivers Chargers. Julian Edelman totaled 141 yards on eight catches with a touchdown that essentially sealed the game in the fourth quarter, and Rob Gronkowski also caught a touchdown pass for the Patriots (10-3). Rivers couldnt generate much offense for his team throughout the night, throwing for 189 yards with a touchdown and interception. San Diego (8-5) had its three-game winning streak snapped and will host AFC West-leading Denver in a pivotal division matchup next Sunday. The first points of the second half came on Stephen Gostkowskis 38-yard field goal with 10:34 left in the fourth to push the Patriots ahead, 16-14. Following a three-and-out by the Chargers, Edelman broke a tackle and scampered 69 yards into the end zone to extend the cushion to 23-14. The Chargers didnt have an answer, however, and New England chipped off over four minutes of clock, leaving little time for its opponent. Rivers pass to Antonio Gates on 4th-and-5 was short of the marker and Brady took a knee to run out the remaining time. Really proud of our football team today for what we did, said Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Defensively, I cant say enough about that effort. New England forced a punt on the opening possession of the game, then chewed up nearly eight minutes of clock on a lengthy drive that resulted in a 22-yard field goal from Gostkowski. The Chargers blocked the first attempt and took it 80 yards for a touchdown, but an offside penalty moved the ball up for Gostkowski to boot through the uprights to open the scoring. San Diego countered with an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown march. LaDarius Green picked up 11 yards on 3rd-and-9 from midfield to keep the drive alive and five plays later, Rivers lofted a pass up to the corner of the end zone where Malcolm Floyd made a diving catch for a 15-yard touchdown.
[b]Kingsley Keke Jersey[/b]. Brandon LaFell made a catch just past midfield on the ensuing Patriots possession, but Jahleel Addae jarred the ball loose and Darrell Stuckey raced into the end zone for a 53-yard return touchdown that made it 14-3 with 11:06 to play in the second. New England manufactured another long drive deep into San Diego territory that ended with Gostkowski connecting with a 22-yard field goal. Brandon Bolden blocked Mike Scifres punt on San Diegos next touch and the Patriots started at the San Diego 25. Brady rushed for four yards on 3rd- and-3, then hooked up with Gronkowski on a back-shoulder throw for a 14-yard score and cut the deficit to 14-13. Manti Teo nearly intercepted Brady in the end zone earlier in the game, but made amends for it by picking off an offering late in the first half for his first career interception as the Patriots looked to add on points. The Chargers did a nice job keeping Brady off the field early in the third, forcing three straight three-and-outs. Devin McCourty intercepted Rivers off a bobbled pass from Green and returned it for a touchdown, but the play was negated as Brandon Browner was flagged for unnecessary roughness on a hard hit to Green. Akeem Ayers did, however, pick Rivers off later in the drive to keep it a one- point game. Brady and company couldnt do anything, though, as San Diegos defense forced another punt after just three plays. Game Notes Scifres left the game with a shoulder injury after Bolden blocked his punt. Kicker Nick Novak filled in for Scifres for the rest of the contest. Novak averaged 40 yards per punt in his first action at the position since high school ... Green left the game with a concussion following the hit by Browner ... New England improved to 21-14-2 all-time against San Diego ... Gronkowski became the first tight end in NFL history to score 10 or more receiving TDs in 4 seasons ... The Patriots held the Chargers to 216 yards of total offense. ' ' '
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