• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Raptors-Timberwolves Preview

Mar 21, 2010 - 6:39 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Toronto (34-34) at Minnesota (14-56), 8:00 p.m. EDT

Coming off a rare road win, the Toronto Raptors could use some momentum with a challenging four-game stretch beginning later this week.

A matchup with a Minnesota Timberwolves team that has lost 12 straight could provide it.

Looking to win two in a row on the road for the first time in more than two months, Toronto tries to extend its 11-game winning streak over Minnesota on Monday night.

Chris Bosh scored 36 points and the Raptors (34-34) snapped a six-game road skid with a 100-90 victory over New Jersey on Saturday. Before making a season-high 16 field goals in his 500th career game, Bosh received a pre-game pep talk from Jarrett Jack, Antoine Wright and Marcus Banks.

"They were just on me about playing basketball and that made it fun," said Bosh, the only player in the NBA in the top eight in scoring (24.1 points per game) and rebounding (11.1). "They were telling me what they wanted to see from me."

Raptors coach Jay Triano, whose team leads Chicago by 2 1/2 games for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, would like to see continued improvement defensively. Toronto is allowing a conference-worst 105.8 points per game, but moved to 20-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 points.

"We were much more focused on the defensive end," Triano said. "Despite giving up some offensive rebounds, we were hungry for the ball. We were aiming at getting two or three stops in a row and we were able to do that. It's something we have to grow on."

The Raptors have not won two straight on the road since Jan. 6-8, but have won five in a row at the Target Center. With Bosh sidelined with a sprained right knee, Toronto earned a 110-102 victory in its last visit Feb. 10, 2009.

Before hosting Utah and Denver and playing at Miami and Charlotte from Wednesday through next Monday, Toronto will try to sweep Minnesota for the sixth straight season.

Bosh had 21 points and 15 rebounds and Jack added 17 points and eight assists in a 94-88 victory over the Timberwolves on Dec. 8. The Raptors shot a season-low 32.5 percent but made a season-high 40 free throws and grabbed 53 rebounds, matching their best total of 2009-10.

The Timberwolves (14-56) have dropped 18 of 19 but are looking to build on one of their better efforts of the season, a 104-96 road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Jonny Flynn scored 20 points, Kevin Love added 19 and 11 rebounds and Darko Milicic had season highs of 16 points and 12 boards for the Timberwolves, who outscored the Lakers by three over the final three quarters.

"I think it's easy to say that this was our best game, and lot of it had to do with our guys doing the right things," said coach Kurt Rambis, whose team has lost seven straight at home.

Timberwolves leading scorer Al Jefferson had 12 points and 11 boards Dec. 8. He missed the Raptors' last visit to Minnesota due to a torn ACL.

Minnesota's last victory over Toronto came Jan. 21, 2004.