Mar 29, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) keeps the ball away from Minnesota Timberwolves point guard J.J. Barea (11) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder fell 101-93 on the road last night to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It was once again a curious game in that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both played well in a Thunder loss. They simply got very little help.

The Timberwolves took more free throws, got more offensive rebounds and turned the ball over less than the Thunder.

Nikola Pekovic led the Timberwolves with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Ricky Rubio had 17 points, seven assists and four steals.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 41 minutes, 36 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists – A

Durant was really a monster last night. He shot 13-for-19 from the field and was 9-for-9 from the free throw line. His assists were kind of low but that also had to do with his teammates not knocking down shots. It’s amazing that the Thunder can lose games when KD plays this well.

Russell Westbrook – 32 minutes, 18 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds – B

Westbrook played fine as well. He could have been more efficient but 7-for-17 isn’t terrible for him. He also turned the ball over just twice which is a good barometer that he is locked in and playing well. One concern though is that he was basically outplayed by Rubio which made what usually is an advantage for the Thunder, not one last night.

Serge Ibaka – 36 minutes, 10 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks – B+

Ibaka was very active last night on the glass and blocking shots. He became the league leader in blocks per game after last night. He went just 4-for-10 from the field and his jumper wasn’t falling as much as it normally does, which hurt the Thunder somewhat.

Kevin Martin – 20 minutes, 4 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound – F

Martin was awful last night playing just 20 minutes and shooting 1-for-9 from the field. The Thunder can’t afford for Martin to play this poorly.

Kendrick Perkins – 26 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block – D+

This was not a good game for Perkins either who couldn’t slow down Pekovic and found himself in foul trouble for most of the night. He also turned the ball over four times which is unacceptable for someone that has the ball so little.

Thabo Sefolosha – 28 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block – B

Sefolosha shot well which was nice and he went 2-for-2 from three for the game. An underrated part about what makes Sefolosha not that good is his inability to make entry passes to Durant. When the ball is in his hands late in ball games, it is not a good sign for the Thunder. Even Martin is much better at this than Thabo. James Harden was the best at it.

Nick Collison – 19 minutes, 0 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist – C+

KD and Russ got little help from their teammates last night and that included Collison, which is rare. He didn’t score and wasn’t much of a factor for most of the game. The Thunder didn’t have to rely on Collison to score last year but they need him to do more this year. He normally does, just not last night.

Reggie Jackson – 19 minutes, 8 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds – B-

Jackson took 10 shots which was pretty amazing. Some were in garbage time. He looked good when he checked in scoring a few buckets at the rim right away. He hasn’t really been hitting his outside shot lately but he’s not exactly expected to do so. He was in there in crunch time instead of Martin as the Thunder went small.

Derek Fisher – 13 minutes, 3 points, 1 assist – C-

Fisher actually made a field goal which was weird to see. He finished 1-for-4 from the field for the game and was, for the most part, terrible. It’s really unacceptable that he plays over Ronnie Brewer.

Hasheem Thabeet – 6 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal – B+

Thabeet only played in the first half and was actually very good out there. He was very active and his one basket was a nice dunk inside off a Collison assist.

Jan 9, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) chases a ball against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Dante Cunningham (33) during the second half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Coming into tonight’s game, the Thunder have won three straight games including wins over the Trailblazers, Magic, and Wizards. Tonight, Oklahoma City will face another below .500 team in the Minnesota Timberwolves.

At 25-45, the Timberwolves are coming off a tough loss to the Lakers on Wednesday night, 120-117. With a hurt Kevin Love, this young team is still in a rebuilding mood and has no thoughts of the playoffs this year.  Currently, they allow 95.3 points per game(20^th in the league), which the Thunder will definitely take advantage of.

The last time these two teams met was on February 22^nd at home. Oklahoma won that game, 127-111, behind a great shooting performance from the Thunder.  Oklahoma City shot 57.8 percent from the floor, 9-for-14 from deep as Kevin Martin, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant combined for 83 points.

The key matchup tonight will be Russell Westbrook vs. Ricky Rubio. In Rubio’s last 10 games, he has averaged a solid 14 points a game and 7.8 assists. Westbrook will definitely have his hands full tonight.

Tonight’s game will have a 7 PM CT tip-off, and will be played in the Target Center.

Feb 22, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Kevin Martin (23) handles the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Alexy Shved (1) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder snapped their three-game losing streak Friday night beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-111 at Chesapeake Energy Arena to improve to 40-15 on the year.

The Thunder were shooting 65 percent from the field after three quarters thanks to a 73 percent shooting effort in the third period in which they outscored Minnesota 34-25.

OKC would go 9-for-14 on threes for the game and make all 22 of their free throws.

The Thunder will be off tonight and back in action tomorrow night at home vs. the Chicago Bulls.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 37 minutes, 27 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists – A

Durant was in distributor mode again last night resulting in seven dimes. He did turn the ball over four times as he still needs to improve his decision-making on some of the passes he is trying. KD made all eight of his free throw attempts and shot over 50 percent from the field.

Russell Westbrook – 35 minutes, 37 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds – A+

This was one of Westbrook’s best games of the year as he scored a season-high 37. He always seems to be very aggressive against the Timberwolves and that is because he sees their point guards as inferior defenders on him. He went 13-for-22 from the field and good luck beating the Thunder when Westbrook does that.

Serge Ibaka – 27 minutes, 6 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks – C+

It wasn’t a big night for Ibaka who only took four shots and made three of them. With Westbrook looking for his shot so often, it resulted in less looks for Ibaka.

Kevin Martin – 25 minutes, 19 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – B+

Scoring 19 points in 25 minutes is always a very good thing. Amazingly, Martin would foul out for the first time this season though. He went 7-for-11 from the field and made 2-of-4 threes.

Kendrick Perkins – 25 minutes, 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block – B+

Perkins returned from missing the last game with a sprained right knee and looked very good. He made 4-of-6 shots including a few very tough ones and was a force on defense all night. He’s always going to be open on offense and Durant found him many times and Perkins made the most of those opportunities either scoring or swinging the ball around.

Thabo Sefolosha – 34 minutes, 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists – B

Sefolosha was coming off a career-high 28 points on Wednesday night in Houston. He was much quieter last night but still solid. He scored a little and played great defense. His passing felt particularly effective although he only ended up with two assists.

Nick Collison – 17 minutes, 8 points, 4 assists – B+

Collison didn’t get any rebounds and the Timberwolves played the Thunder even in his 17 minutes. Collison had four assists which is always a great sign for the Thunder second unit that they are moving the ball around nicely.

Reggie Jackson – 13 minutes, 3 points, 4 assists, 1 steal – B

Jackson continues to look very good each game he plays. Last night he was passing it real well and getting his dimes off dribble penetration. He made the one three he attempted and did not turn the ball over once.

Hasheem Thabeet – 10 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds – B

Thabeet went 2-for-2 from the field and didn’t block a shot for the first time in what feels like forever.

Perry Jones, DeAndre Liggins, Jeremy Lamb and Daniel Orton all played a few minutes at the end of the game.

Jan 9, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic(14) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nick Collison (4) and Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will look to end their three-game losing streak tonight as they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at home tonight at 8 p.m. EST.

The Thunder lost two in a row for just the second time this season entering the All-Star Break and then lost on the road to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

The Thunder have split the season series with the Timberwolves so far this year winning at home and losing on the road.

Kevin Love played in the first meeting in Minnesota back on Dec. 20. He had 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists as the Timberwolves won 99-93.

The Thunder shot just 40.2 percent from the field in that game. Kevin Durant scored 33 and Russell Westbrook had 30 in the loss. Kevin Martin did not play.

The Thunder blew out the Timberwolves 106-84 the next time they played on Jan. 9 in OKC. Durant had 26 and Westbrook 23 in the win. Martin had 19 off the bench.

That game was one of Ricky Rubio’s first of the year and he didn’t score but did have seven assists.

The Timberwolves have only won three of their last seven games and things aren’t exactly looking up for them the rest of this season.

Love isn’t coming back for a long time and winning on the road – especially in OKC – seems pretty impossible at this point.

The Thunder are hungry for a win since they haven’t had one in what seems like forever. Their last two losses have been embarrassing in a sense as well.

The Thunder made a few trades at the deadline yesterday sending Eric Maynor to the Portland Trail Blazers and acquiring Ronnie Brewer from the New York Knicks.

We might get a chance to see Brewer play for the first time tonight. Expect him to take some of Thabo Sefolosha’s minutes at the end of the first quarter and start of the second.

Tonight should be a blowout. The Thunder need one and nothing says Minnesota is going to put up much of a fight.

Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder nearly have the best record in the NBA this season and they have the No. 1 offense. But that won’t stop the trade ideas coming in on how to make this team better.

Yesterday, it was suggested by Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman that the Thunder attempt to trade for Minnesota Timberwolves point guard J.J. Barea.

Barea is averaging 10.7 points and 4.4 assists in 23.4 minutes per game this season. He’s shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc. Those numbers are all slightly down from the production he has given the past few seasons.

Right now, the Thunder are going with second-year guard Reggie Jackson as Russell Westbrook’s backup. OKC began the season using Eric Maynor in the role but because of Jackson’s defensive ability, he has gotten the nod of late.

Jackson has shown improvement from a season ago but he’s not exactly killing it either. The Thunder second unit has also had some games recently in which they can’t buy a basket, that is whenever Kevin Martin can’t find the range.

Barea is someone who can create for himself and others in a pretty unique way in this league. He is an odd matchup being so short and stocky and able to still get to the rim in a variety of ways.

Just about any team could use a player like this. The question is though: how bad could the Thunder use him?

Barea would certainly help the Thunder score more off the bench. That is for certain. Defensively, OKC may dip a little using Barea instead of Jackson but it wouldn’t be anything too dramatic.

There could even be instances where you could envision Barea closing out games next to Westbrook, Sefolosha, Durant and Ibaka.

Barea has a history of playing very well against the Thunder. This always makes a team take a closer look at a guy when they traditionally get torched by him. And everyone remembers Barea killing the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.

Barea signed a 4-year, $18 million contract with the Timberwolves back in Dec. 2011. He’s making around $4.5 million per season the next two years.

It wouldn’t be too easy for the Thunder to trade for Barea. OKC wouldn’t want to give up Sefolosha or Collison in a deal and would definitely involve Eric Maynor.

The Thunder could package Maynor and Jeremy Lamb for Barea and Chase Budinger. The best trade would be OKC dealing Maynor and Kendrick Perkins and picks for Barea and Derrick Williams but something like that would be super unlikely.

The other big issue is whether the Thunder would want to pay Barea around $4.5 million through 2014-15. Probably not.

Barea could definitely help the Thunder out. But for what OKC would have to give up, it just doesn’t seem like this could be a real possibility.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Wednesday night’s game having just suffered one of the most embarrassing defeats of the season to the Washington Wizards.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were a team that has proven it can beat the Thunder not too long ago but overcoming a Kevin Love injury was too much in OKC tonight. The Thunder cruised to a 106-84 victory tonight to improve to 27-8 on the season.

The Timberwolves had two things really working against them tonight playing on the road and in the second game of a back-to-back. In both instances the Timberwolves had a winning percentage of just 37.5 before tonight.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 26 points and eight rebounds. He also added three dimes, three steals and four blocks as he continues a nice little streak of very all-around box scores.

Russell Westbrook also had a great game scoring 23 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists. Westbrook made half of his shots tonight after making just 9-for-28 the first time OKC played Minnesota this season.

Kevin Martin came into the game looking to find his shooting rhythm. He would make 4-of-7 threes and score 19 points in the game as he definitely took a step in the right direction.

Serge Ibaka was coming off a career-high, 26-point outing against the Wizards in his last game but scored just six points to go with three rebounds and two blocks tonight. He only took six shots as the opportunities were simply much less than usual for him.

The Thunder shot 47.4 percent from the field and made 11-of-20 threes in the game. They held Minnesota to 43.1 percent shooting and 3-of-13 from deep.

The Thunder are off tomorrow then will play against the Los Angeles Lakers in Staples Center Friday night.

Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder look to bounce back from an embarrassing road loss to the Washington Wizards two nights ago as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at 8 p.m. EST.

The Thunder are still only a half game behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the best record in the NBA. One of the Thunder’s eight losses this season came at the hands of the Timberwolves in late December.

Minnesota beat the Thunder 99-93 on Dec. 20 in Minnesota despite 33 points from Kevin Durant and 30 from Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook had a near quadruple-double in that game recording 11 rebounds, nine assists and eight turnovers as well. The matchup against the inferior point guards from Minnesota brought out the worst of Westbrook though as he went 9-for-28 from the field in the loss.

The Thunder were without Kevin Martin in that game who was nursing a quad injury at the time. Martin will be back in action tonight but he has been struggling of late including a 3-of-12 shooting night vs. the Wizards.

The Timberwolves have been dealing with injuries all year and will again be without Kevin Love tonight. Love had 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the first meeting between these teams.

Ricky Rubio will be available though. Rubio had eight assists in Minnesota’s 108-103 win over Atlanta last night.

The Timberwolves had 13 offensive rebounds and will have to give the same kind of effort tonight on the offensive glass to beat the Thunder. OKC gave up too many second chance points to the Wizards in their last game which is one of the potential weaknesses of this Thunder team on a night-to-night basis.

Minnesota is 21st in the NBA in offensive efficiency this season but they are 8th in defensive efficiency. The Thunder are still the top offense in the league thanks to hot shooting to start the season. Lately, they have come back down to reality especially in terms of 3-point shooting percentage.

The Thunder play and shoot much better at home than on the road. Martin and the Thunder hope to end this 3-point shooting slump tonight in front of their home crowd.

Durant is averaging 35.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in his last nine games against Minnesota. OKC has to like their odds when their best player is putting up those kinds of numbers.

Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder 12-game winning streak came to an end tonight as the Minnesota Timberwolves protected their homecourt beating the Thunder 99-93.

Oklahoma City falls to 21-5 on the year while the impressive victory for Minnesota makes them 13-11 on the season.

It was the second night of a road back-to-back for the Thunder which could have played a part in their slow start to the game which they were never able to overcome.

The Thunder would shoot just 40.2 percent for the game and they made just 5-of-20 3-point attempts.

Kevin Love led the Timberwolves with 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Nikola Pekovic added 24 points and 10 rebounds and Alexey Shved also posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 assists.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 33 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Russell Westbrook also scored 30 points to go with nine assists and 11 rebounds but he shot 9-for-28 from the field.

The Thunder were without Kevin Martin in the game for the first time this season and the bench unit gave OKC just seven total points. Serge Ibaka was the only other player in double-figures for OKC with 14 points, nine boards and five blocks.

The Thunder will be off the next five games before playing the Miami Heat on the road on Christmas Day next Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. EST.

Richard Rowe-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder set a franchise-record winning their 12th consecutive game last night on the road vs. the Atlanta Hawks. Tonight, they will look to keep going on the road again in a back-to-back vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves are just above .500 right now and having a decent season but it’s hard to judge where they will be by the season’s end. They just got Ricky Rubio back from injury and Kevin Love has played only 13 games for them as well.

Last season, the Thunder and Timberwolves gave NBA fans some great games including a double-overtime thriller on March 23 that the Thunder won 149-140. Russell Westbrook scored a career-high 45 points in that game and Kevin Durant had 40 points and 17 rebounds. Love scored a career-high 51 points including seven 3-pointers.

In three wins vs. the Timberwolves last season, Durant averaged 38.7 points per game and Westbrook 36.0 points per game.

Defense has been the biggest reason Minnesota is winning games this season. They are ranked 8th in the league in defensive efficiency and are just 20th offensively. Rubio should help both of those areas as he is one of the best passers in the league and defensively great at getting in passing lanes and disrupting a team’s offense.

The other calling card for Minnesota is offensive rebounds. Love and Nikola Pekovic each are averaging 3.7 offensive rebounds per game and both are good at finishing inside and getting to the line as well.

On the heels of a back-to-back, it may be a challenge for the Thunder to go on the road and not give up more offensive rebounds than usual to a team like the Timberwolves. But the Thunder have been so impressive in this 12-game winning streak.

Serge Ibaka will be looking to bounce back from a tough game shooting the ball last night in which he made only 2-of-9 field goals. Ibaka rebounded very well though which will be key again tonight.

The other matchup to keep a close eye on will be Andrei Kirilenko covering Durant. Kirilenko has been one of the best defenders in the league over the past decade and just the kind of defender who could give Durant fits.

Durant is coming off a season-high 41-point outburst last night in Atlanta so slowing him down will be tougher than usual for Kirilenko and company.

This is the last game the Thunder will play until next Tuesday on Christmas when they will take on the Miami Heat. Head coach Scott Brooks knows this so don’t be surprised if Durant and Westbrook each log 40-plus minutes. When they do that, they are very tough to beat.

The game will tip-off at 7:00 p.m. EST on TNT.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love broke his right hand Wednesday while working out and is now expected to be out 6-8 weeks, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Love is entering his fifth season in the NBA this year and his first in his new 4-year, $60 million contract. He averaged 26.0 points and 13.3 rebounds per game last season in 55 games.

The Timberwolves finished with a 26-40 record last season, 12th in the Western Conference. They dealt with injuries last season too most notably Ricky Rubio’s which will keep him out until December still.

Minnesota made some moves this offseason acquiring Russians Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved as well as Brandon Roy out of retirement. It seems we will not see the full Minnesota roster until well after this season starts.

The Timberwolves are in the same division as the Oklahoma City Thunder and will play each other four times his coming season. The first meeting will be Dec. 20 in Minnesota which means there is a good chance the T-Wolves will have both Love and Rubio by then.

OKC and Minnesota made for some very memorable games last season including a double-overtime thriller in late March where the Thunder won 149-140 despite 51 points and 14 rebounds by Love.

In that game, Kevin Durant had 40 points and 17 rebounds while Russell Westbrook scored a career-high 45 points. Also, J.J. Barea had a triple-double for Minnesota with 25 points, 14 assists and 10 boards.

The Thunder and Timberwolves are forming one of the best up-and-coming rivalries in the NBA. Here’s to hoping we get to see all the big guns playing when these teams meet up four times this season.

Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

Minnesota Timberwolves Team Overview

The Timberwolves finished last season with a 26-40 record missing the playoffs by 10 games. Last season started with a lot of promise and excitement as Ricky Rubio became one of the most entertaining players in the league. When Rubio went down with a knee injury though, Minnesota’s season went down with it.

Kevin Love continued his rapid progression last season turning in MVP-like numbers averaging 26.0 points and 13.3 rebounds per game with a 25.41 PER.

The other pleasant surprise for Minnesota was Nikola Pekovic’s development who averaged 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season while shooting .564 percent from the field.

Minnesota made some roster changes this offseason taking a chance on Brandon Roy who is coming out of retirement and signing Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved as well. They also traded for Chase Budinger and Dante Cunningham, signed Greg Stiemsma and drafted Robbie Hummel.

Wesley Johnson, Darko Milicic, Martell Webster, Wayne Ellington and Brad Miller will not be on the roster next season.

There is some unknown with how the Timberwolves will look next season with so many new faces. Also, Rubio probably won’t be ready for the start of the season and is aiming for a December return to the court.

Minnesota made a leap last season and is expected to be contending for a 7-8 seed in the Western Conference if all goes well.

Last year

The Oklahoma City Thunder played the Timberwolves three times last year and beat them each time. Every game was very close and entertaining though and the two teams seem to be developing a nice little rivalry.

The Thunder played Minnesota in the first game of the season last year in Minnesota and won 104-100. Kevin Durant led the way with 33 points and Russell Westbrook had 28. James Harden scored 16 off the bench.

Love had 22 and 12 and Rubio had six points and six assists in 26 minutes of his NBA debut.

The next meeting between these teams was perhaps the game of the year in the NBA. The Thunder won 149-140 in double-overtime as Love and Durant exchanged clutch baskets down the stretch.

Love scored a career-high 51 points to go with 14 rebounds in the game. J.J. Barea had a triple-double for the Timberwolves off the bench with 25 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.

Durant had 40 points and 17 rebounds for the Thunder. Westbrook scored a career-high 45 points on 17-for-28 shooting. Harden had 25 points, six assists and six rebounds off the bench.

In the final meeting between these teams, Love and Rubio did not play for Minnesota and the Thunder won 115-110.

Durant scored 43 while Westbrook had 35. Harden had one of his worst games of the year going 1-for-11 from the field with just six points.

Durant averaged 38.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game vs. the Timberwolves in the three games. He shot .583 percent from the field and .529 percent from three.

Westbrook averaged 36.0 points and 6.7 assists per game. He shot .527 percent from the field and .400 percent from three.

Harden averaged 15.7 points and shot .211 percent from three.

The matchup

The Timberwolves played well against the Thunder last year but overall had just the 21st best offense in terms of points per possession while the Thunder defense was 5th best.

Minnesota was best at the pick-and-roll, ranking 7th in the league, thanks to Love’s great ability as a pick-and-pop threat and their cast of point guards. That is the only real advantage they have against the Thunder defense which was 11th best defending pick-and-roll plays last season.

The Timberwolves were also solid scoring in the post led by Pekovic and Love. They were 13th best in the league but the Thunder were 4th best defending post-up plays.

Minnesota had just the 20th best defense in terms of PPP last season and it is no secret that the Thunder put up a lot of points against them, Durant and Westbrook in particular. Minnesota had no one who could slow down either.

The Timberwolves weren’t horrible defending the pick-and-roll and isolation plays last year, ranking 15th in both.

Next year

If Minnesota is healthy next year, they should be able to give the Thunder some good games again. They will play each other four times, first on Dec. 20 in Minnesota, then Jan. 9 in OKC, then Feb. 22 in OKC and finally March 29 in Minnesota.

The Timberwolves will have more of a European flavor next season with the additions of Kirilenko and Shved. Kirilenko may be one of the best options in the league to defend Durant but still should have a lot of trouble slowing him down.

Westbrook plays particularly well against Minnesota too which really makes the Thunder a tough team to beat.

The Thunder and Timberwolves gave us some of the most entertaining games in the league last season and hopefully they continue with that trend.

Lin will be able to sign it officially on July 11 then the Knicks will have three days to match. The deal is worth $10.2 million over the first two seasons and $9.3 million in the third and fourth year with the final year being a team option.

The Knicks can offer Lin a 4-year, $24.5 million deal.

Jason Kidd surprisingly chose the Knicks over the Dallas Mavericks. Kidd was rumored to be close to re-signing with Dallas and was earlier rumored to plan to follow Deron Williams wherever he signed.

Kidd’s deal with New York will be a 3-year, $9 million deal.

Every indication is that the Knicks will match the offer sheet for Lin and team up the two point guards. A lack of a point guard was a glaring hole in the Knicks’ roster during the playoffs. Carmelo Anthony turned into an isolation machine playing right into the hands of the Miami Heat defense.

Kidd and Lin should be able to help with that, especially Kidd who has the right personality to control things on offense even next to a superstar like Anthony.

The Minnesota Timberwolves made a few big signings last night.

Brandon Roy has come out of retirement and agreed to a 2-year, $10.4 million deal with the T-Wolves. Minnesota also signed another former Blazer in Nicolas Batum to a 4-year, $45 million offer sheet although Portland reportedly plans to match any offer for Batum.

The Timberwolves clearly are looking to strengthen their wing positions to surround Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love with better guys. Minnesota also traded for Chase Budinger before the NBA Draft.

Trade talks between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard have lessened. The Lakers after trading for Steve Nash now intend to keep their core of Nash, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

Bynum was involved in trade rumors that would send him to Orlando in a deal for Howard but the Magic have not shown a lot of interest in any deal presented to them this offseason.

The Brooklyn Nets are still trying to work on a deal to get Howard although they’re chances of landing them seem increasingly less.

Ray Allen has narrowed down his decision of where he wants to play to the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. The Los Angeles Clippers were thought to be int he running yesterday before signing Jamal Crawford and Chauncey Billups.

The Heat appear to be the frontrunner although only able to offer Allen $3.09 per year while Boston has offered Allen a 2-year, $12 million deal.

The Magic have been open to trade walks involving Howard who has made it clear he wants out. Howard says he wants to go to Brooklyn to play with Deron Williams but would probably be happy too in L.A. with Kobe Bryant.

A potential deal would certainly involve Andrew Bynum going to the Magic but not necessarily Pau Gasol as well. The Magic are looking for young players to rebuild their team with and Gasol doesn’t fit that mold as much.

The Lakers are still shopping Gasol as well who has gotten a lot of interest from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota has offered Derrick Williams to the Lakers for Gasol. A potential trade could also include Michael Beasley.

The Timberwolves would love to acquire Gasol to team him up with fellow countryman Ricky Rubio and All-Star Kevin Love.

It looks like the Nets will have a pretty tough time getting Howard. They haven’t totally given up hope but are taking action with other things.

Brooklyn signed Gerald Wallace to a 4-year $40 million deal today. The Nets have also looked into a potential trade to acquire Joe Johnson so pair with Deron Williams.

Williams plans to meet with the Nets and Mavericks Monday to discuss his potential future.

For Orlando, the Lakers would have the best package as of right now to get Howard by sending Bynum. Bynum was an All-Star for the first time in his career last season and is only 24 years old.

Here are draft grades for every team:

New Orleans Hornets
No. 1 overall – Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky
No. 10 overall – Austin Rivers, G, Duke
No. 46 overall – Darius Miller, G/F, Kentucky

The Hornets really couldn’t go wrong possessing the first overall pick in the draft and chance to take Anthony Davis. Davis has a chance to be a franchise changer and playing alongside Eric Gordon in New Orleans is a good start. The Hornets took Rivers 10th overall which is what they wanted to do. The Hornets believe Rivers can play some point for them although he is a scoring guard at heart. Gordon is a good playmaker himself though so the two may be able to share ball handling duties a la Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. The Darius Miller pick is nice too. He is an athlete that could make it in the NBA and was a teammate of Davis’ at Kentucky.

Grade: A+

Oklahoma City Thunder
No. 28 overall – Perry Jones, III, F, Baylor

To win a championship, sometimes it takes a little luck. The Thunder got the steal of the 2012 NBA Draft with the No. 28 pick. Perry Jones III we knew was going to fall because of concerns mainly surrounding his knee but sliding this far to a franchise that is perfect for him just seems unfair to the rest of the league. It was a Spurs-like snag for OKC and they know it already. Jones III has lottery talent and top-5 pick potential. One knock on him is that he never really stepped up and dominated and was more of a supporting role type of mindset and player. Well, come on down to OKC that sounds just fine!

Grade: A+

Charlotte Bobcats
No. 2 overall – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky
No. 31 overall – Jeffrey Taylor, G/F, Vanderbilt

The Bobcats were supposed to either trade the No. 2 pick or take Thomas Robinson if they couldn’t. Instead, they shocked everyone selecting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist second overall. MKG is a player that will shine no matter where he plays, even in Charlotte. He has the potential to be the second best player in this draft class and it was a wise choice to make here by Michael Jordan. Jeffrey Taylor is a good pick too in the second round. Taylor was projected to go a little earlier in the draft and is a nice value find at 31.

Grade: A

Washington Wizards
No. 3 overall – Bradley Beal, SG, Florida
No. 32 overall – Tomas Satoransky, G, Czech Republic

The Wizards got the man they wanted at No. 3 but had to hold their breath and pray before doing so. As the Bobcats were shopping the No. 2 pick, any team that may have gotten it was probably going to take Bradley Beal second overall. The Wizards desperately wanted an elite shooter and wing to place alongside John Wall and they believe Beal is that guy. Beal measured just under 6-foot-5 so he’s not huge but he is physical and can do a lot of things on a basketball court. Tomas Satoranksy in the second round apparently is friends with Jan Vesely which makes that pick awesome too.

Grade: A

Sacramento Kings
No. 5 overall – Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas

It was impossible not to fall in love with Thomas Robinson watching him break down after being selected fifth overall by the Kings. He won over a lot of fans with that reaction. Robinson is touted as one of the surest things at the top of this draft. The Kings wanted him bad too at No. 5, more than anybody else. Sacramento was going to pull off a trade with this pick with Houston if Robinson was off the board but obviously that didn’t happen. Robinson and DeMarcus Cousins are going to be able to get a lot of rebounds playing together.

Grade: A

Detroit Pistons
No. 9 overall – Andre Drummond, PF/C, Connecticut
No. 39 overall – Khris Middleton, SF, Texas A&M

The Pistons are extremely happy that Andre Drummond fell to them. Before the draft, they were hoping for this but planning to settle on John Henson. Drummond has as much upside as anyone in this draft. There are questions surrounding him but he is very young. It was the right pick here for Detroit without question. Khris Middleton isn’t someone that jumps out as a great pick here but at No. 39, there’s not a lot to expect.

Grade: A

Milwaukee Bucks
No. 14 overall – John Henson, PF, North Carolina
No. 42 overall – Doron Lamb, SG, Kentucky

The Bucks were pretty happy to see John Henson at No. 14 especially after trading down from 12 with Houston. Henson is the kind of guy Milwaukee wanted and someone who will block a lot of shots and grab some rebounds but really needs to put on some weight first. Doron Lamb is another player they were happy to see at No. 42. He could have gone in the first round and is an irrational confidence guy who can shoot and play some D too.

Grade: B+

Cleveland Cavaliers
No. 4 overall – Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse
No. 17 overall – Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina

It wasn’t a huge shocker that Cleveland took Dion Waiters No. 4. They were planning on possibly doing so and after being unable to trade up to No. 2 and take Beal, Waiters was the next guy on their list, probably just ahead of Harrison Barnes. It wasn’t an overly popular pick but Waiters has an NBA-ready body and next to Kyrie Irving should do well. With Tyler Zeller sliding in the draft, the Cavaliers pulled the trigger on a trade with Dallas to get to No. 17 and take the North Carolina center. They gave up three picks for Zeller so they must really like him. Now with a core of Irving, Waiters, Thompson and Zeller, Cleveland’s future looks kind of alright.

Grade: B

Portland Trailblazers
No. 6 overall – Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
No. 11 overall – Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois
No. 40 overall – Will Barton, SG, Memphis

Before the Draft, Portland was intent on keeping their 6th and 11th picks and they also loved Damian Lillard. Six may sound high for Lillard but Portland did something smart: picking their favorite guy and not caring where they did it. They then filled a need at 11 with Meyers Leonard, the center from Illinois. Portland was projected in some mocks to take Andre Drummond and either Austin Rivers or Jeremy Lamb. That sounds a little better than what they ended up with. They get Will Barton at No. 40 which is another solid value pick as he was projected late-first by many.

Grade: B

Golden State Warriors
No. 7 overall – Harrison Barnes, G/F, North Carolina
No. 30 overall – Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt
No. 35 overall – Draymond Green, F, Michigan State
No. 52 overall – Ognjen Kuzmic, C, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Despite his overall disappointing feeling, many still feel Harrison Barnes can be an All-Star in the NBA. Getting him at No. 7 was a pretty solid pick for the Warriors, who are starting new next year post-Monta Ellis and with Andrew Bogut. Festus Ezeli with the last pick of the first round is understandable too and he is a high-character guy who will work hard for them. Draymond Green is another good pick to get in the second round. The Warriors didn’t have a flashy draft but they made some value picks and that’s always a good strategy.

Grade: B

Houston Rockets
No. 12 overall – Jeremy Lamb, SG, Connecticut
No. 16 overall – Royce White, F, Iowa State
No. 18 overall – Terrence Jones, F, Kentucky

The Rockets were stockpiling draft picks with one thing on their mind: Dwight Howard. That hasn’t happened yet and now feels like it won’t. They were hoping to move up to No. 5 to take Andre Drummond but since Thomas Robinson fell to the Kings there, they weren’t trading that pick. The Rockets will settle for three pretty solid players starting with Jeremy Lamb at No. 12 who has a lot of pro potential as a scorer. When they took Royce White at No. 16, you knew they weren’t trading their picks anymore. White has gotten a lot of buzz this draft as a more athletic Boris Diaw who plays a little like Charles Barkley too. Terrence Jones two picks later is another talented forward that can do a variety of things. You always feel players Daryl Morey drafts are guys who can find a spot in the NBA. The Rockets just had bigger sights for this draft than this.

Grade: B

Phoenix Suns
No. 13 overall – Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina

It’s just about official now that Steve Nash is on his way out in Phoenix. Kendall Marshall is their point guard of the future. Marshall was one of the best assists men in college the past two seasons and has drawn comparisons to Mark Jackson and Andre Miller so yeah, he’s not quick. He’s fun to play with and will make the players around him better. They like that in Phoenix.

Grade: B

Chicago Bulls
No. 29 overall – Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky

The Bulls were either going backup point here or combo-guard shooter. Marquis Teague is a talented player with this pick and someone who may be able to play alongside Derrick Rose some. It’s nothing special for the Bulls but a good pick nonetheless. Bulls fans were dying for Perry Jones III to slip one more pick into their laps.

Grade: B

Toronto Raptors
No. 8 overall – Terrence Ross, SG, Washington
No. 37 overall – Quincy Acy, PF, Baylor
No. 56 overall – Tomislav Zubcic, PF, Croatia

The Raptors would have loved to see Harrison Barnes fall one more pick into their laps. They would have loved even more to move up and snag Dion Waiters. They settle for Terrence Ross who can do things that will make him have a solid NBA career: shoot threes and defend. Quincy Acy in Round 2 could be a Reggie Evans type which is something this franchise has experience with. Tomislav Zubcic will not come over right away. If Toronto gets Steve Nash, a lot of their problems will appear solved.

Grade: C+

Orlando Magic
No. 19 overall – Andrew Nicholson, PF, St. Bonaventure
No. 49 overall – Kyle O’Quinn, C, Norfolk State

The Magic are in a weird situation and have been ever since Dwight Howard started pouting. Howard ran their head coach and GM out of town and still wants out himself. He hasn’t gotten it yet but it’s really only a matter of time. Orlando’s picks of Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O’Quinn may have been logical, but they won’t make their fans feel better yet

Grade: C+

Boston Celtics
No. 21 overall – Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State
No. 22 overall – Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
No. 51 overall – Kris Joseph, SF, Syracuse

We knew Jared Sullinger would drop, we just didn’t know how far. The Celtics are in a rebuilding stage now and looking to bulk up their front court with Sullinger and Fab Melo. The Celtics were hoping for Royce White here or to trade up and take Doc Rivers’ son Austin Rivers in the lottery. The best case scenario for Kris Joseph (taken No. 51 overall) is Gary Forbes, according to DraftExpress.

Grade: C+

Philadelphia 76ers
No. 15 overall – Maurice Harkless, SF, St. John’s
No. 27 overall – Arnett Moultrie, PF/C, Mississippi State

Philadelphia fans are not happy with the decision to take Maurice “don’t call me Moe” Harkless 15th overall. When you draft a guy who plays the same position as your best player at No. 15, it never feels like it makes sense. Harkless came out after just one year at St. John’s and is said to have some pro potential but he’s nothing special. The 76ers traded up with Miami to get Arnett Moultrie at No. 27. It’s just another lateral move here for Philly. Their fans want more than that.

Grade: C

Denver Nuggets
No. 20 overall – Evan Fournier, SG, France
No. 38 overall – Quincy Miller, G/F, Baylor
No. 50 overall – Izzet Turkyilmaz, PF, Turkey

The Nuggets surprisingly went with Evan Fournier at No. 20 despite some talent sitting on the board. Fournier will not come over to the NBA next season but was the highest rated international prospect of the draft. The Nuggets clearly weren’t looking to try and strike gold with late first round picks this year. They’ve already accomplished that with Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried. Their pick at No. 38 felt a little better. Some fans wanted Quincy Miller with the 20th pick so getting him this late is a win in that sense. Miller is young with a ton of potential but has the usual question marks. Denver went with another international product late in the second round that we won’t see in the NBA right away.

Grade: C

Atlanta Hawks
No. 23 overall – John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt
No. 43 overall – Mike Scott, F, Virginia

Nothing special here for Atlanta. John Jenkins could be decent but he won’t turn any heads. He can really shoot it though and might get some run for the Hawks where Josh Smith is on the way out. It would have been great if Atlanta had decided to draft Marquis Teague here and run an all-Teague backcourt with his brother Jeff. Love the Mike Scott pick.

Grade: C

Dallas Mavericks
No. 24 overall – Jared Cunningham, G, Oregon State
No. 33 overall – Bernard James, C, Florida State
No. 34 overall – Jae Crowder, F, Marquette

It doesn’t seem like Dallas was trying to do a ton in this draft. They dealt their 17th overall pick to Cleveland probably because there was no one they were in love with. They got three picks back for it and didn’t do anything crazy with them. One of the cooler moments in the draft though was Bernard James having his name called and walking to the podium. The crowd started chanting “U-S-A” because James served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dallas’ main priority this offseason is wooing Deron Williams and/or Dwight Howard.

Grade: C

Memphis Grizzlies
No. 25 overall – Tony Wroten, Jr., PG, Washington

The Grizzlies wanted a point guard and a lot of mocks had them going with Marquis Teague but they choose Tony Wroten, Jr. instead. Jay Bilas calls Wroten, Jr. a taller Rajon Rondo. That means he’s a good passer and can’t shoot a lick. Maybe it’s what Memphis needs and there is some upside there.

Grade: C

Utah Jazz
No. 47 overall – Kevin Murphy, SG, Tennessee Tech

Utah has enough young players from the last few drafts that they didn’t care too much about this year. Kevin Murphy is the only player from this draft to score 50 or more points in game last year in college. Why not?

Grade: C

Miami Heat
No. 45 overall – Justin Hamilton, C, LSU

Miami could have had Perry Jones III at No. 27 and it would have been just as scary as OKC getting him if not more so. They just didn’t want to have to pay a first rounder this year. Their cap space will be tight the next few seasons. They trade down here and get a 7-footer which they need. Something tells me we won’t see a ton of Justin Hamilton playing for the defending champs.

Grade: C

San Antonio Spurs
No. 59 overall – Marcus Denmon, G, Missouri

The Spurs drafted him so he’ll be an All-Star in four years. Marcus Denmon feels a little Patty Mills/James Anderson. The Spurs probably aren’t expecting too much from Denmon though.

Grade: C

New York Knicks
No. 48 overall – Kostas Papanikolaou, F, Greece

Not doing anything here. The home crowd really loved this pick at least.

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Clippers
No. 53 overall – Furkan Aldemir, PF, Turkey

Love this pick. He may never play in the NBA but he is a great rebounder and can only score on putbacks, according to Fran Fraschilla. What’s not to love?

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Lakers
No. 55 overall – Darius Johnson-Odom, SG, Marquette
No. 60 overall – Robert Sacre, C, Gonzaga

Darius Johnson-Odom plays the wrong sport. He’d be an awesome football player and used that to his advantage in college for Marquette. He will look a lot smaller in the NBA. If Robert Sacre is playing for the Lakers next season, it won’t be a good thing.

Grade: C-

Brooklyn Nets
No. 41 overall – Tyshawn Taylor, PG, Kansas
No. 54 overall – Tornike Shengelia, PF, Georgia
No. 57 overall – Ilkan Karaman, PF, Turkey

Brooklyn not trying to go crazy here. They are just praying for Deron Williams and Dwight Howard to hookup in their new city. Tyshawn Taylor might make it as a backup point in this league but nothing more. Tornike Shengelia goes by “Toko” and is a 6-foot-9 scorer who is good at attacking and can score around the rim well but has no jumper. Ilkan Karamen has a ton of tattoos and may “never play in the NBA” according to Fran Fraschilla.

Grade: C-

Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 58 overall – Robbie Hummel, SF, Purdue

Kevin Love, Chase Budinger and now Robbie Hummel. Good luck rest of league.

Grade: C-

Indiana Pacers
No. 26 overall – Miles Plumlee, PF, Duke
No. 36 overall – Orlando Johnson, SG, UCSB

This may have been the worst draft pick ever, worse than Sam Bowie. With names like Perry Jones III, Draymond Green and Festus Ezeli on the board, Indiana elects to take the worst Plumlee brother, Miles. If they weren’t Indiana and known for their white hoopsters, this would be an even worse pick. It’s still so horrible though words can’t describe it. There’s nothing that could make this pick ever make sense. They get Orlando Johnson from UCSB in the second round who was a 20-point scorer last year and might do something for them.

Grade: F

Mike DiNovo-US PRESSWIRE

The first major trade before the 2012 NBA Draft has occurred involving the Houston Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Rockets traded Chase Budinger to Minnesota in exchange for the 18th pick in the first round as first reporter by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

The Rockets now have the 14th, 16th and 18th picks in the first round and it is clear that they are trying to pull off a package that could land them Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

The Timberwolves are past stockpiling first round draft choices as just about every player on their roster feels like they were selected in the lottery within the past five seasons. Budinger is a nice piece for them to build around Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.

Shortly after this trade was completed, Houston offered the Sacramento Kings Kyle Lowry, the 14th pick and the 16th pick for Tyreke Evans and the 5th pick in the draft.

The plan here is for Houston to have a package consisting of Evans, Kevin Martin, the 5th pick and the 18th pick to send to Orlando for Howard.

Houston is doing everything possible to get Howard even though it has been reported that Howard is not interested in resigning with Houston after the 2012-13 season.

The Rockets and their savvy GM Daryl Morey are confident in themselves and what they have in Houston that they will be able to convince Howard to stay after a season with the team.

Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant scored 20 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 43 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-110 Saturday night.

Durant was unguardable in the final period playing all of it after coming out of the third quarter with 8:30 to play. Russell Westbrook finished the game with 35 points to go with eight assists.

The duo of Durant and Westbrook literally took turns tonight with Durant scoring 20 in the fourth and Westbrook scoring 16 in the third.

The Thunder needed all of this scoring from the top scoring pair in the NBA winning by just five despite no Kevin Love for the Timberwolves.

In Love’s absence Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph stepped up. Beasley scored 26 off the bench and Randolph 22. J.J. Barea carried the load for Minnesota in the first half and finished the game with 24 points and 10 assists.

It was a game that felt like the Thunder could have let slip away if they weren’t so superior in terms of talent with their top two guns. Durant and Westbrook combined 27-for-48 from the field, 6-of-10 from deep and 18-for-22 at the line.

James Harden after missing last night essentially missed tonight as well going 1-of-11 from the floor and 0-for-8 from three. He scored just six points in the game looking the worst he has all season, unaggressive early and seemingly just going through the motions for a lot of the night.

Without Love on the floor, Oklahoma City outrebounded the Timberwolves 53-39 and the Thunder pulled down 17 offensive boards.

Defense was really optional tonight and the game finished with one of the more interesting matchups of the season: Anthony Randolph guarding Russell Westbrook for the final three minutes or so of the game. The Thunder didn’t really go to Westbrook at this point with Durant rolling but Westbrook did try and drive on Randolph once only to see Randolph repel perfectly in position to take the charge.

It was that kind of game and a fun game but that’s what we expect when these two teams get together.

The Thunder (44-16) will play at the Clippers (37-23) for their next game Monday night in what will be the second game in their five-game road trip.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Thunder (1-game winning streak)
107.4 Offensive Efficiency (1st)
99.5 Defensive Efficiency (9th)
95.6 Pace (6th)
57.0 True Shooting % (1st)
51.5 Rebound Rate (4th)

Timberwolves (8-game losing streak)
102.0 Offensive Efficiency (15th)
103.4 Defensive Efficiency (21st)
95.8 Pace (5th)
52.6 True Shooting % (16th)
50.5 Rebound Rate (14th)

The last time these teams played it made for one of the best games of the season with Oklahoma City beating Minnesota 149-140 in double overtime.

Russell Westbrook scored a career-high 45 points in that game and Kevin Durant had 40 points and 17 rebounds.

Kevin Love also scored a career-high in the game with 51 points to go along with 14 rebounds. Love will be out tonight suffering a concussion against Denver a few nights ago.

The Timberwolves have been in a downward spiral of late losing their last eight and are 4-15 after Ricky Rubio suffered his season-ending injury a few weeks ago.

The Thunder are on a back-to-back having beaten the Kings last night at home without James Harden. Harden is still a game-time decision tonight but the Thunder may not need him considering all of the injuries Minnesota is dealing with.

The Thunder are one game ahead of the Spurs for the best record in the West with the same amount of losses and two more wins.

Home court will be big in the playoffs and a win tonight against a wounded Timberwolves squad is crucial considering the Thunder are kicking off a five-game road trip tonight.

We saw Durant and Westbrook find a better rhythm last night and if that carries into tonight the Thunder should find themselves with a win in Minnesota.

In the first ever FanSided NBA Podcast I interview our very own editor of Sir Charles in Charge Chris Walder. Chris came on to give his thoughts on Dwight Howard and his fallout with the Orlando Magic, the chances of Boston and New York making playoff runs, who the MVP of the NBA is so far this season and who the favorites are to win the NBA title.

Be sure to listen to the podcast here or you can also download the podcast.

Follow Chris on Twitter @WalderSports