Portland @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 18, 2017 ) Portland 107, Minnesota 108

The Minnesota Timberwolves can finish off a sweep of a five-game homestand and run their home winning streak to eight when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. The Timberwolves' home winning streak is the franchise's longest since 2003-04 and began with a 108-107 win over the Trail Blazers on Dec. 18.

Minnesota had a string of seven straight games holding opponents under 100 points come to an end on Friday but did enough on the other end of the floor to earn a 118-108 win over the New York Knicks. “We’re understanding what we need to do to win games,” Timberwolves veteran forward Taj Gibson told the Star Tribune. “We’re trying to keep this homestand on a positive note, keep pushing the ball, do whatever it takes to win games.” Portland is in the midst of a tough stretch of schedule and is playing its fifth straight Western Conference playoff contender after beating San Antonio and Oklahoma City and falling at Houston and New Orleans. The Trail Blazers, who surrendered an average of 120 points in the losses to the Rockets and Pelicans, are finishing out a four-game trip on Sunday.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN, NBCS Northwest (Portland), FS North Plus (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (22-20): Portland's last two losses came with the return of point guard Damian Lillard, who missed the wins over San Antonio and Oklahoma City with a calf injury. Lillard isn't showing any rust and averaged 26 points along with eight assists in the last two games, though he has yet to find his form from 3-point range (3-of-17). The Trail Blazers got at least 17 points from all five of their starters on Friday but received a total of 12 points off the bench.

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (28-16): Minnesota's balanced offensive attack saw eight players score in double figures on Friday and the lone player that did not reach double figures - reserve point guard Tyus Jones - contributed seven points on 3-of-5 shooting along with four assists in 15 minutes. Center Karl-Anthony Towns finished an assist shy of a triple-double in the win and is averaging 20.3 points on 63.3 percent shooting and 13.8 rebounds during the homestand. Towns was held to 16 points and seven rebounds in the 108-107 win over Portland on Dec. 18, one of just eight times this season that he failed to record a double-double.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Trail Blazers SG/SF Evan Turner (illness) sat out Friday and is day-to-day.

2. Gibson is 25-of-38 from the floor on the homestand.

3. Portland PF Al-Farouq Aminu recorded his third double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds on Friday.

PREDICTION: Timberwolves 125, Trail Blazers 103