9 p.m. at Phoenix • FSN, 830-AM
Wolves-Phoenix game preview
March 14, 2016 at 5:08AM
Preview: The 17-49 Suns have lost three consecutive games and five of seven after Saturday's 123-116 loss at Golden State. Before that, a team that fired two assistant coaches in December and head coach Jeff Hornacek in February and was missing its top two point guards had lost 13 consecutive games and 19 of 20. The Suns lost their first nine games under interim head coach Earl Watson and are 3-14 since the team changed head coaches … The Suns are 11-22 at home, 6-27 on the road … The Wolves' last victory in Phoenix was 110-101 on Feb. 25, 2014. Suns point guard Brandon Knight made a career-high seven three-pointers in the Suns' 108-101 home victory in December, and the Wolves ended a nine-game losing streak by beating the Suns at Target Center in January.
Players to watch: Sidelined 21 games by an adductor strain, Knight made his return by coming off the bench in Thursday's loss at Denver, then returned to the starting lineup with a 30-point, seven-assist effort vs. the Warriors. He's back playing beside rookie shooting guard Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns' former Kentucky teammate who is scoring like no teenager has since a guy named LeBron James. Booker delivered consecutive 30-point games — 32 against New York on Wednesday, 35 at Denver the next night — last week, becoming the first Suns player to do so since Walter Davis in 1978 and the only teenager other than James to do so. … Former Wolves forward Chase Budinger has played off the bench in two of three games since the Suns signed him as a free agent a week ago. Indiana bought out Budinger's expiring contract and waived him to make room for Ty Lawson.
Injuries: Wolves F Kevin Garnett (sore knee) and C Nikola Pekovic (sore ankle) are out. Suns G Eric Bledsoe (knee surgery) and F T.J. Warren (foot fracture) are out.
JERRY ZGODA
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After trailing by 18 points, Minnesota pushed back, but the extra period turned strongly in Houston's favor.
