Detroit Pistons at Minnesota
Timberwolves

When: 8
p.m. Wednesday

Where:
Target Center

Records:
Pistons 3-11 (fifth in Central); Timberwolves 5-8 (fifth in
Northwest).

Pistons probable starters:
Tayshaun Prince, 6-9, 215
(Kentucky); Ben Wallace,
6-9, 240 (Virginia Union); Greg
Monroe, 6-11, 250 (Georgetown); Ben Gordon, 6-3, 200 (Connecticut);
Brandon Knight, 6-3, 189 (Kentucky).

Timberwolves probable
starters: Wes
Johnson, 6-7, 215 (Syracuse); Kevin Love, 6-10, 250 (UCLA); Darko
Milicic, 7-0, 275 (Serbia); Luke Ridnour, 6-2, 175 (Oregon); Ricky
Rubio, 6-4, 180 (Spain).

Last game:
The Pistons lost 97-80
Tuesday in Houston, a game in which starting center Greg Monroe was
held to a season-low four points, his third time in single-digits
this year. The Timberwolves got 33 points and 11 rebounds from Love,
and 25 and nine from Ridnour, in a 99-86 win Monday over the
Sacramento Kings.

Fast facts:
Love is the NBA’s
sixth-leading scorer (25.6 ppg). … The Pistons get their first look
at Minnesota rookie point guard Rubio, whose dynamic court vision has
seized interest throughout the NBA. … Rubio is averaging 10.8
points, 8.3 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. … Ridnour, despite
being a prolific 3-point shooter, also ranks 19th in the league in
overall field-goal percentage (52.4). … Wayne Ellington had 15
points off the bench, and the Timberwolves were plus-18 during his 26
minutes, against the Kings. … The Timberwolves rank 29th in the
league in percentage of total points scored in the paint (35.418
percent). … Minnesota is the epitome of a halfcourt offensive team,
with only 19.091 percent of its points scored off fast breaks, last
in the league. … The Pistons rank 28th in assists per turnover
(1.13) and the Timberwolves are 29th (1.04), even though Detroit’s
Rodney Stuckey has the 13th-best ratio (2.65) and Minnesota’s Rubio
ranks 19th (2.51). … The Pistons’ 85 points per game is last in the
league.

Frank-ly speaking:
“Any time you make a
lineup change, you’re not going to get instant gratification out of
it. I don’t think there’s any miracle answers or miracle schemes.
What we’re looking at is different combinations and what works. I
thought Body (Wallace) played well (at Houston). I thought he did a
very, very good job, when you look at three blocks and four rebounds
in the minutes he played. We’re going to go with it for a little bit
and we’ll continue to evaluate it.” – Lawrence Frank, on
Wallace’s insertion into the starting lineup before last night’s
game.

TV:
Fox Sports Detroit