Timberwolves 91 - 116 Trail Blazers
Final
  for this game

Blazers prep for playoffs, host T-wolves

Apr 8, 2015 - 2:20 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Portland Trail Blazers are the Northwest Division champions and they'll begin their playoff preparation in earnest, starting Wednesday when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Moda Center.

The Blazers will host a first-round playoff series, but the fluid nature of the Western Conference standings don't offer a glimpse into a possible opponent.

Portland had its two-game winning streak snapped on Monday in a 106-96 road loss to the Brooklyn Nets. The game was postponed from earlier in the season when a snowstorm forced the cancellation.

The Blazers didn't bring a full roster to Brooklyn. LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Chris Kaman stayed in Portland, but Damian Lillard was at the Barclays Center.

The All-Star scored 36 in the loss, while Meyers Leonard supplied 17 points and 15 rebounds for Portland, which had won six of its last seven contests coming in.

"I'm proud of the way we competed tonight," Portland head coach Terry Stotts said. "We just didn't quite have enough."

Brooklyn led 54-38 at the break and 77-64 after three. The Blazers never got within less than six in the fourth.

The Timberwolves have lost seven in a row, which is the longest current streak in the NBA.

On Tuesday, the T-wolves fell to the Sacramento Kings, 116-111, in California.

Kevin Martin tallied 37 points and eight assists to lead Minnesota.

"That's one thing about this team, we are always going to play hard," Martin said.

Andrew Wiggins provided 26 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota, followed by 21 points and 11 assists from Zach LaVine. Chase Budinger chipped in 13 off the bench.

After building an eight-point lead after the first quarter, the Timberwolves struggled. They lost the next two frames, 67-43.

Minnesota fought back in the fourth and won the 12-minute stretch, 37-26. It wasn't enough and the T-wolves dropped their third consecutive contest as the visitor.

The T-wolves still have to visit the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors on this sojourn.

The Timberwolves won the last two meetings with the Blazers, but have lost six straight in Portland.






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