MINNEAPOLIS -- An unexpectedly strong performance in the middle gave the Minnesota Timberwolves a big lift Sunday night.
cheap nfl jerseys . Kevin Love had his usual solid performance with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to lead the Timberwolves to a 104-102
victory over the Sacramento Kings. But it was the other double-double that was
unexpected. In his first career start, rookie Gorgui Dieng had his first career
double-double with season highs in points (12) and rebounds (11) for Minnesota.
He also had five blocks. "Were a man short right now and Gorgui, he just came in
and did what we needed him to do and thats just rebound and alter shots at the
basket," said Kevin Martin, who had 31 points Dieng, the 21st pick in last
summers draft, made his first career start in place of Nikola Pekovic, who sat
out with soreness in his right ankle. "I was prepared if I get minutes or not I
was just going to keep working," Dieng said. "I think you should work more when
you dont play a lot. I didnt get minutes. I never got frustrated. Just keep
working and I know my time will come one day." A former Timberwolves player saw
Diengs potential firsthand. "I told him since the first day he got here that its
your job to block shots. You got drafted to rebound and block shots. His post
games getting better as well. If he sticks with that hes going to be a good
player in this league," said Derrick Williams, who scored 26 points and had 11
rebounds off the bench for Sacramento. Williams knows about being a young player
in Minnesota. The second-overall pick in the 2011 Draft, Williams had two
disappointing seasons with the Timberwolves before being traded to Sacramento on
Nov. 26 for Luc Mbah a Moute, who has been a non-factor for Minnesota. "I think
anybody who gets traded wants to play good against the team that traded them,"
he said. "I just wanted to be aggressive because (DeMarcus) Cousins was out and
I was the next man up. Coach wants me to be aggressive and thats what I did
tonight." Cousins, the Kings starting centre, missed the game with right knee
tendinitis. He was replaced by Aaron Gray, who hadnt seen action since Feb. 25.
Gray finished with four points in 20 minutes. "Its a testament to Aarons work
ethic and his positive attitude for him to be ready to play tonight after not
playing in so many games," coach Michael Malone said. "It was good to see him
out there." Love hit 3 of 6 3-pointers, including one with 1:07 to play to give
Minnesota a 97-95 lead and the Timberwolves hung on to win for the 33rd time,
their most wins since 2005-06. Sacramentos Isaiah Thomas had 27 points,
including two 3-pointers in the final 15 seconds to keep it close. Thomas scored
from beyond the arc with 13.2 seconds left to get the Kings within two. After
Martin made two free throws to make it 102-98 with 12.1 seconds left, Thomas
answered with another 3-pointer before Martin made two more free throws with 5.7
seconds left. It was the second straight night the Kings couldnt close out a
game, leaving them with a 2-5 record on a season-long seven-game road trip. They
were outscored by six points in the fourth quarter and lost 94-87 in Chicago
Saturday. "We were in there; we had a chance to win, but we just couldnt
capitalize," Thomas said. Down 29-19 late in the first quarter, Williams
provided a spark by scoring 10 straight points off the bench to get the Kings
within three by quarters end. Williams had six more in the second quarter as the
Kings took a 54-53 halftime lead. NOTES: Sacramento has officially been
eliminated from playoff contention. ... Listed as day to day, Pekovic missed 13
games earlier this season -- including all of February -- with bursitis in his
right ankle. ... Minnesota entered the game averaging a league-low 3.5 blocks
per game. ... Thomas reached 1,000 career assists with a first-quarter helper,
becoming the eighth player in Sacramento history to have that many in his first
three seasons with the Kings. ... Martin made his 1,000th career 3-pointer in
the fourth quarter. ... Twelve of Sacramentos final 15 games are in the Pacific
time zone.
nfl jerseys china .C. -- Brian Vickers will miss the rest of the NASCAR season because of a blood clot in his right calf.
wholesale nfl jerseys . The Toronto Argonauts released the impressive sophomore quarterback a little more than two weeks
before he was scheduled to hit the free agent market on February 15, perhaps
sending teams interested in the 25-year-olds services into a mad dash to
finalize their pitches.MIAMI - Jhonny Peralta is relieved that his long absence
is over. Peralta played in his first game since completing a 50-game suspension,
and had a hit and an RBI in the Detroit Tigers 3-2 loss to the Miami Marlins on
Friday night. "I felt pretty good," Peralta said. "I saw the ball well, the
breaking ball and everything. I made good contact." Peralta, who was suspended
as a result of Major League baseballs investigation into Biogenesis, the Florida
anti-aging clinic accused of distributing performance-enhancing drugs, started
in left field. He had his first chance on Giancarlo Stantons bases-loaded double
in the third inning that gave Miami a 3-0 lead. The Marlins loaded the bases on
Koyle Hills leadoff single and consecutive two-out walks to Placido Polanco and
Christian Yelich. "I played deep to him, close to the wall," said Peralta, a
career infielder trying a new position in an effort to earn a spot on Detroits
post-season roster. "Thats what they told me to do. He hit it perfect, close to
the line. There was nothing I could do." Peraltas run-scoring double chased
Miami starter Tom Koehler in the sixth and cut the Marlins lead to 3-2. "He was
slow getting to the ball by Stanton," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said of
Peralta. "But overall he did fine — first time out there in a big league game."
The loss guaranteed AL Central champion Detroit will open the division series on
the road. Oakland beat Seattle and holds a two-game lead over the Tigers for
home-field advantage with two to play. The Athletics hold the tiebreaker, having
won the season series 4-3. "You cant win a division title if you cant win on the
road," Leyland said. "Ive always been proud to take my team on the road. I think
sometimes — to be honest — the pressure is on the home team more." Stanton drove
in three runs for the Marlins and Koehleer (5-10) pitched 5 1-3 innings,
allowing two runs and five hits while walking three and striking out three.
wholesale jerseys. "We had some great at-bats, were patient," Miami manager Mike Redmond said. "(Stanton) was
fortunate enough to come up with the bases loaded and hit it down the line."
Ryan Webb relieved Koehler and pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings and Chad Qualls
followed with a perfect eighth. Steve Cishek pitched a scoreless ninth for his
29th consecutive save and 34th in 36 opportunities. "It was a great way to go
out," said Koehler, who battled a stomach virus before the game. "Ive been real
pleased the way Ive been throwing the ball the last couple of outings. I only
feel the experience Ive had here is going to help me in the future." The Tigers
scored their first run on Austin Jacksons run-scoring single in the fifth.
Koehler struck out Andy Dirks to end the Tigers threat. Detroits Jose Alvarez
(1-5) lasted 2 2-3 innings in his return to the starting rotation after eight
relief appearances. He allowed three runs and two hits, walking two and striking
out three in his first start since Aug. 16. Earlier Friday, the Marlins fired
Larry Beinfest, the teams president of baseball operations. Beinfest had
overseen player personnel for the Marlins since 2002. NOTES: Former Marlin
Miguel Cabrera received a warm ovation before his first at-bat in the first
inning and after he was removed for a pinch runner following his leadoff single
in the sixth. Cabrera, who went 2 for 3, played with the Marlins the first five
seasons of his career before being traded to Detroit in 2008. ... 1B Prince
Fielder was replaced by Don Kelly after he walked to lead off the second. ...
The roof at Marlins Park was open for the 14th time in the season..Marlins 3B
Placido Polanco reached over the railing and landed in the stands to catch Don
Kellys pop-up in the eighth inning.
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