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Timberwolves-Bucks Preview

Jan 23, 2010 - 5:50 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Minnesota (9-34) at Milwaukee (17-23), 8:30 p.m. EDT

It's just for one game, but the Milwaukee Bucks should be eager to return home - especially with the Western Conference-worst Minnesota Timberwolves in town.

The Bucks look to bounce back from their latest road loss with a fourth consecutive home victory Saturday night against the Timberwolves.

Milwaukee (17-24) failed to sweep a home-and-home set with the Raptors, losing 101-96 at Toronto on Friday. The Bucks have lost six of eight with each defeat coming on the road, where they're 5-17.

On their home floor of the Bradley Center, the Bucks are 12-7 and winners of three in a row. They've also won four of their last five home meetings with Minnesota (9-35), though the loss came in the most recent contest - 90-83 on Jan. 26.

Milwaukee has a good chance to avenge that defeat against a Timberwolves club which has dropped six consecutive road games.

To do that, the Bucks will need to play better than they did in Toronto.

Luke Ridnour scored a season-high 27 points and Andrew Bogut added 22, but Milwaukee was held to 39 points in the second half and allowed more than 100 points for a seventh straight game.

"It looked like we didn't know what was going on," said the Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings, who had 14 points.

Averaging 17.9 points during a stellar rookie season, Jennings had 14 on Friday. He'll now try to revisit the home success he enjoyed early this season.

The 10th overall pick in last June's draft averaged 25.5 points on 47.9 percent shooting in his first 11 games at the Bradley Center, which included a 55-point effort against Golden State on Nov. 14. However, Jennings is averaging 11.9 points while shooting 30.7 percent in his last eight home games.

He managed nine on 4-of-16 shooting in Milwaukee's 87-72 win at Minnesota on Nov. 6. Bogut had 17 points with 10 rebounds in that contest, and is averaging 18.3 points and 10.7 boards in his last three against Minnesota.

Timberwolves rookie Jonny Flynn scored 20 points in the November loss to Milwaukee. He had the same amount in a 96-94 loss to New Orleans on Friday to conclude a 1-2 homestand.

Trailing most of the night, Minnesota tied the game with 3.5 seconds left, but James Posey's layup at the buzzer sent the Timberwolves to their second straight loss and 11th in 13 games.

"You have to give credit to us," said Minnesota forward Kevin Love, who had 13 points and nine boards after a two-game absence because of an illness. "We fought back from 10 down and brought it back and had our chances."

Al Jefferson had 25 points and 13 rebounds in the defeat for Minnesota. The veteran forward is averaging 22.8 points and 13.0 rebounds in his last six games, but was held to eight of each against Milwaukee earlier this season.