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Nuggets look to sweep season series against Timberwolves

Jan 19, 2008 - 4:01 PM Minnesota (5-33) at Denver (23-15) 9:00 pm EST

DENVER (Ticker) - The Denver Nuggets look to sweep the season series against the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves when the two teams meet on Saturday.

The Nuggets haven't swept the Timberwolves since the 1995-96 season but have won the first three games against Minnesota this season by a combined 25 points.

During its last meeting, Allen Iverson scored 33 points to lead Denver past Minnesota, 118-107, on January 4.

While Iverson leads the team, averaging 26.8 points per game this season, a new star could be rising in the Mile High City - swingman Linas Kleiza.

Kleiza scored a career-high 41 points in just the sixth start of his career on Thursday, as the Nuggets claimed a 120-109 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Although the 23-year-old is averaging just 11.2 points this season, Kleiza was the first member of the Nuggets other than Iverson or Carmelo Anthony to score at least 40 points in a game since Nick Van Exel in 2001.

The Timberwolves have been absolutely dismal this season and enter Saturday's contest on a four-game losing streak with just one win in their last 13 games.

Al Jefferson scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds during Minnesota's last game on Friday, but it wasn't enough as the Timberwolves suffered yet another setback, 115-95, against the Phoenix Suns.