Houston's Michael Beasley wonders what might have been with Wolves

HOUSTON – Recently signed Houston forward Michael Beasley has been to China and back, among many other places, since he left the Timberwolves in 2012 after two seasons playing with Kevin Love.

"Hmmm, a long time," Beasley said when asked how long ago that seems. "What was it, five years? I'm getting old, man."

At 27, he's back in the NBA and coming off the Rockets' bench after playing in China this season. The 2008 draft's No. 2 pick, whom the Wolves acquired two years later for almost nothing, Beasley averaged 31.3 points over a six-game stretch early in his first season with the Wolves, then injured his ankle and never was as productive again.

"I actually sprained my ankle three games in a row," he said. "Every game I tried to be a tough guy and go out there until I finally just sat down. It's life. It's the game. It was me being young and dumb. If I could have done it all over again, I would have sat down for at least a week when I did it the first time. But we live and learn."

He's now with his fourth NBA team and on Friday he wondered what might have been if he, Love and lottery picks Corey Brewer, Ricky Rubio, Martell Webster, Wes Johnson and Derrick Williams had stayed together.

"For the first three quarters we were one of the best teams in the league and dead last in the fourth," Beasley said. "It was just us being young, just not being able to finish games. I think if we would have kept that team together, we could have been something special. We had a decent little group. It was our first year together. We were young, but it could have been …"

Wolves big man Gorgui Dieng got wrapped up and played Friday with a hurting hip he injured in Wednesday's victory at Memphis. He received treatment much of Thursday and Friday and started anyway. He called it a bruise after he was kneed on the hip bone.

Go figure this: Spaniard Ricky Rubio had a perfectly picked NCAA bracket in the Wolves' pool on Thursday's first day of March Madness.

"I know a 12 seed always beat a 5 so I pick two of them," said Rubio, who missed on at least three picks Friday. "I took Little Rock because I like the name, I didn't know anybody on that team. I think it's pure luck. Most of the teams, I don't even know which state they're in. I didn't go to college here."

Gone for nine days, the Wolves will take Saturday off after flying home late Friday night.

"I'm very tired," Wolves rookie Karl-Anthony Towns said after Friday's 32-point, 11-rebound night. "The season is wearing down on me. I'm feeling the fatigue is setting in more. These days of rest are very vital for me especially."

• D League signee Greg Smith returned to Houston, where he played parts of three seasons and faced Dwight Howard daily for one season. "He made me a lot better, made me a lot quicker off my feet," Smith said. "I had a great time here."