Spurs (26-20) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (21-23)
When, where: Friday, 7 p.m., Target Center, Minneapolis
Last season: Spurs won 2-1
All-time series record: Spurs lead 88-30
Season series: Spurs lead 2-1
Last meeting: Spurs 124, Wolves 98, Dec. 21, AT&T Center
Spurs' last game: Beat Mavericks 105-101, Wednesday, Dallas
Wolves' last game: Lost to 76ers 149-107, Tuesday, Philadelphia
Spurs' last 10 games/streak: 7-3, won one
Wolves' last 10 games/streak: 5-5, lost one
Spurs' injury/inactive report: Forward Drew Eubanks (G League assignment), out; forward Ben Moore (G League assignment), out; point guard Dejounte Murray (torn right anterior cruciate ligament), out; Lonnie Walker IV (G League assignment), out.
Wolves' injury/inactive report: Forward Robert Covington (ankle), out; point guard Tyus Jones (sprained left ankle), day-to-day
Notable: The Spurs end a two-game road trip Friday night. They are 4-4 in their last eight road games, and 3-3 in their last six overall. San Antonio's next home game is against the Los Angeles Clippers at 6 p.m. Sunday . . . Spurs forward Rudy Gay reached a career milestone in Wednesday night's victory against the Mavericks, becoming only the third player to record at least 15,000 points, 4,000 rebounds and 1,000 steals since 2006. The other two players? LeBron James and Russell Westbrook . . . Spurs guard Bryn Forbes has 100 three-pointers this season. Only two other Spurs have made 100+ threes in one of their first three career seasons: Gary Neal and Danny Green . . . The Silver and Black are the only NBA team with an all-time winning record against every team in the league.
GAME PREVIEW
The last time they played the Timberwolves in Minnesota, the Spurs left the Target Center with a 39-point loss – the worst of their season through 46 games.
The Wolves’ 128-89 beatdown of the Silver and Black on Nov. 28 wasn’t even that close. Minnesota led by only three points after one quarter, but outscored the visitors 29-9 in the second to go up 57-34 at the break. The Wolves led by as many 48 points in the second half before recording their largest margin of victory in the series against the Spurs.
Galvanized by the lopsided loss, the Silver and Black routed Minnesota 124-98 three weeks later at the AT&T Center. The Spurs (26-20) and Wolves (21-23) meet for the fourth and final time in the regular season Friday night at the Target Center. San Antonio, which beat the Wolves 112-108 in their opener, leads the season series 3-1.
Fresh off a 105-101 comeback victory against the Mavericks in Dallas on Wednesday, the Silver and Black have improved steadily since the November debacle in Minneapolis. Three games under .500 after losing back-to-back games on Dec. 4-5, the Spurs have gone 15-6 since then.
San Antonio is in a virtual tie with Houston (25-19) for fifth in the tight Western Conference standings, trailing the Rockets by percentage points. The Silver and Black are only one game behind third-place Oklahoma City.
Down to Dallas by 19 points in the second quarter, the Spurs outscored the Mavs 60-45 in the second half to steal the win. The comeback victory should be a confidence builder for a team that has struggled to win on the road this season. San Antonio is 8-14 away from the AT&T Center.
The Mavs left the Spurs in the starting blocks after the opening tipoff, racing to a 23-4 lead with ease.
“Thankfully NBA games are 48 minutes,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We spotted them 12 minutes and didn’t really compete, just followed them around. I thought in the second, third, and fourth quarters we competed.
“That was the big difference in the game for us. It shows in your pace on offense, it shows in defense. They are a fine team and they jumped on us. I’m just proud of our guys for hanging in there and not succumbing to a really good quarter by Dallas. It’s a very good win for us.”
Reserve forward Davis Bertans, who finished with 12 points, nailed a three-pointer to break a 96-96 tie and put the Spurs ahead to stay with 1:41 left.
Guard Marco Belinelli, who missed the Silver and Black’s loss to Charlotte on Monday, came off the bench to lead the team’s scoring with 17 points. Sidelined for five consecutive games with a sprained left wrist, forward Rudy Gay scored 14 points and reached a career milestone.
In his 13th NBA season, Gay became only the third player to record at least 15,000 points, 4,000 rebounds and 1,000 steals since 2006. LeBron James and Russell Westbrook are the other two.
DeMar DeRozan and Patty Mills scored 14 points each and Bryn Forbes completed the Spurs’ double-figure scoring with 12. DeRozan, who has been in a shooting slump this month, and Bertans scored 17 of the Spurs’ 30 points in the fourth quarter. DeRozan came through in the final seven minutes, hitting three baskets and getting a key assist on a bucket by LaMarcus Aldridge.
“I just put behind the previous three quarters,” DeRozan said, when he was asked about his mindset going into the fourth period. “Being timid, not aggressive, but just having the mindset to get the ball and make plays. Not necessarily scoring, but being aggressive to score. That’s what I did.”
Popovich praised DeRozan after the game.
“We gave him the ball and he delivered,” he said. “He’s such an unselfish player, I think sometimes he forgets what he can get done on his own or in pick-and-rolls. I’m glad that it was in his hands to take care of that.”