DENVER - Andrew Wiggins was sick and tired.
[b]Damaso Garcia Blue Jays Jersey[/b] . Not of losing — although it has been a trying season — but from a bug he cant shake and fatigue that carried over from logging big minutes the night before.No matter. Hes young and resilient, and easily shook all that off to turn in his best performance.Wiggins scored a career-high 31 points and Robbie Hummel had two big tip-in baskets in the fourth quarter, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves hold off the Denver Nuggets 113-105 on Saturday night.The dynamic rookie out of Kansas was 11 of 17 from the floor, including four 3-pointers. The top pick in last years draft has scored 20 or more points in eight of his last 10 games.Wiggins improvement this season has been so noticeable that even an official on the court made a comment to Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders.He said, Wiggins, how much hes improved in a month is almost astonishing, recounted Saunders, whose team is 4-16 on the road and 3-16 at home. He continues to get better and amaze, do everything.Wiggins big night also included nine rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. Asked which number stood out to him, he smirked and responded, The win. Definitely.We got the win, played hard, executed down the stretch, added Wiggins, whose previous high was 29 points against Sacramento on Nov. 22. Nothing feels better than that.This recent stretch is exactly what the Timberwolves were expecting from Wiggins when they traded for him, leading Saunders to say, hes probably ahead of what anyone anticipated what he would be.Hummel finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Thaddeus Young added 22 points.The Timberwolves hardly looked weary down the stretch in the thin air of the Mile High City despite losing the night before in Phoenix. Theyre now 2-7 on the second night of a back-to-back.Ty Lawson had 22 points for the Nuggets, who lost the night before in Dallas, snapping a five-game win streak.Jameer Nelson had 16 points in his home debut for Denver. The diminutive guard was acquired Tuesday in a deal that sent Nate Robinson to Boston.When you lose you think you can do a lot of things better, Nelson said. Ill be kicking myself in the butt thinking about what I could have done better.Hummels work around the rim propelled the Timberwolves down the stretch. His second tap-in off a miss by Young gave the Timberwolves a 96-95 lead with 5:25 remaining. Mo Williams kept the lead intact by hitting basket after basket each time the Nuggets made a run.Wilson Chandler was fouled after hitting a 3-pointer. He missed the free throw, and Kenneth Faried tapped it in to make it 108-105 with 1:41 remaining. But Williams hit a long shot to quiet the rally.We didnt do a good job of taking that punch. We delivered that punch and they got hot, Nelson said.Even though Wiggins had a splendid all-around game, Williams wasnt about praise him too much. Wiggins is, after all, only a rookie.A lot of strides he can continue to make, Williams said. Rookies run into a wall right now, but hes hitting his stride, which is good. Its tough to log a lot of minutes in this league, do it consistently every day. Have to go out and produce. ... I think hes handling it pretty well.___TIP-INSTimberwolves: Saunders said guard Ricky Rubio still has soreness in the left ankle he sprained Nov. 7 at Orlando. Are we being cautious? Yeah. We just signed the guy to a $55 million contract, Saunders said. When hes ready to go and the doctors say that hes ready to really go, thats when hell go. ... G Kevin Martin (broken right wrist) and centre Nikola Pekovic (ankle, wrist) are both nearing a return. Asked if they might play Monday, Saunders responded, Well see. ... F Shabazz Muhammad (strained oblique) missed a fourth straight game.Nuggets: Lawson has struggled at the free throw line lately. His teammates haven taken to calling him Ty Rondo — a reference to Dallas guard Rajon Rondo, whos shooting 30 per cent from the line. Hopefully that will light his fire a little bit at the free throw line, coach Brian Shaw said. ... G Randy Foye returned after missing 26 games with a right quadriceps injury. He was 0 for 3 from the field.UP NEXTMinnesota plays at Charlotte on Monday.Denver plays at Golden State on Monday.
[b]Julian Merryweather Blue Jays Jersey[/b] .C. -- Panthers offensive tackle Jordan Gross is saying goodbye to the NFL after 11 seasons.
[b]John Olerud Blue Jays Jersey[/b] . Griffin scored 13 of his 31 points in the final 7:05 and Dudley got 11 of his 20 points in the third quarter, leading the defending Pacific Division champions to a 112-85 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. "Dud is a shooter.LOS ANGELES -- Steve Blake will be out at least six weeks with a torn ligament in his right elbow, leaving the Los Angeles Lakers without all three of their injured point guards. Blake was hurt Nov. 26 in Washington, but kept playing until the Lakers team doctors diagnosed the tear this week. He has been starting in the absence of Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar, averaging 9.8 points and 7.7 assists in a strong season. "Its still a little bit in shock right now that Im having another injury and having to sit out," Blake said Thursday before the Lakers flight to Oklahoma City to open a four-game trip. "I was really enjoying the way things were going, so it is tough." Blakes injured ligament is typically repaired by the so-called Tommy John surgery in baseball players. Blake said he wont have surgery, but will attempt to return this season with rest and platelet-rich plasma injections. Blake played 39 minutes against Phoenix on Tuesday night, finishing with nine points and 10 assists. He has logged heavy minutes without Nash, who has been out since Nov. 10 with nerve root irritation, and Farmar, who tore his left hamstring Dec. 1. "Three (point guards), you would think, would be plenty enough to get you through the year," Blake said. "For all of us to be out at the same time is pretty rare, I think." Kobe Bryant, who just returned two games ago from an eight-month absence with a torn Achilles tendon, will fill in at point guard alongside Jodie Meeks. The Lakers (10-11) have fallen back below .500 after losing three of their last four, including both games with Bryant, who expressed wonder at Blakes ability to play so long with the injury.
[b]Carlos Delgado Blue Jays Jersey[/b]. "We just got Kobe back, so I was looking forward to trying to get us all on the court and figuring things out," Blake said. "The one thing is, I will be back before the season is over, and I hope to finish the year strong, help us get into the playoffs and go from there." The Lakers didnt immediately sign another point guard to take pressure off Bryant and Meeks, but theyll likely play at least two weeks before Farmar returns. The two-time NBA champion was having a strong comeback season in his native Los Angeles, averaging 9.2 points and 4.4 assists as a backup, before getting hurt in a game against Portland. The 39-year-old Nash has given little indication his condition is improving despite constant rehabilitation work. The two-time MVP will rehab in Vancouver while the Lakers are on the road. Injuries are nothing new for Blake, who missed more than two months of last season with a torn abdominal muscle that required surgery in December 2012, allowing him to play in just 45 games. He also missed a chunk of the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season with torn cartilage in his ribs. "You feel sorry for him," Lakers coach Mike DAntoni said. "Hes worked so hard and played so hard. Its a testament to his courage and toughness that he played about four or five games with a torn ligament in his elbow for shooting. He practiced left-handed, and then he would play right-handed. I hate it for him, but weve got enough players here. Well just have to close ranks and get it done." ' ' '
Find in Directory
Find in Events
Find in Marketplace