Rookie sensation Ricky Rubio finally gets a national television audience and two of the NBA’s best power forwards clash when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Los Angeles Clippers, which should be the best game on Friday’s schedule.
A year ago, the idea of this game being televised by ESPN was ludicrous. Even with their recent resurgence, the Timberwolves (.238) and Clippers (.314) have the two worst winning percentages over the last four years.
But the intrigue surrounding Rubio and the Clippers’ accumulation of stars has created a buzz for both teams.
Expect dunks. Despite not being a denizen of Lob City, Rubio actually leads the league in alley-oop assists with 11. Clippers All-Star point guard Chris Paul – who is doubtful for the fourth straight game with a strained hamstring – has eight.
Some of those lobs from Paul have gone to high-flying Blake Griffin, who is second in the league with 32 dunks. Griffin likely will be matched with Kevin Love in a showdown of the only players averaging over 21 points and 11 rebounds this season.
Love is fourth in the NBA in scoring (25.2 ppg) and second in rebounds (14.5). He also leads the 
Wolves with 26 3-pointers. Griffin is eighth in scoring (21.3) and fourth in rebounds (11.8).
Said Minnesota’s Brad Miller of the matchup, “One can jump, one can’t, one can really shoot it, one can’t. They’re about exact opposites of each other at the 4-spot.”
Well, at least they both like Jenga.
The Clippers (8-4) are 2-1 without Paul but their scoring has fallen from 99.1 ppg to 87. That decline has most noticeably affected Griffin, whose scoring drops 8 ppg when Paul doesn’t play.
LA has won four of five, beating Miami, the rival Lakers and Dallas in that span. Minnesota (6-8) has won three of four and is looking for its third road win, which it did not get until its 52nd game last season.