Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Last night was yet another one of those games where Minnesota Timberwolves‘ point guard Ricky Rubio decided he was going to take over the game and was not going to let his team lose. In a match-up with the currently playoff bound Milwaukee Bucks, the Wolves knew the Bucks were going to be tough and wanted to gain some momentum heading into the postseason.
That seemed to have no effect on the likes of Rubio leading his team to victory.
Rubio started out his performance right away in the first quarter by sinking all three of his shots from way outside the arc. This would be less impressive had Rubio been known for his outside shooting. However, this year it has been quite the contrary for the Spaniard. He has struggled mightily from three point range, and last night he had it going early on.
When it was all said and done, Rubio had made five of six from outside, leaving the Bradley Center absolutely stunned. He has done nothing this year to worry the opposition over his outside game, let alone his jump shot in general. In fact, Rubio has one of the more awkward looking jump shots I have seen lately. It’s no Joakim Noah, but it still just strikes as awkward when you first see it for some reason.
Rubio ended the game with 19 points, 12 assists, eight steals, and four rebounds. The eight steals are a season high for Rubio, having ended with six steals a few games and four or five on several occasions also this year. Nikola Pekovic gave Rubio a boost on offense pouring in 29 points and helping out with eight rebounds as well.
Rubio and Pekovic have been the heart and soul of this Timberwolves team this year as they have suffered so many brutal injuries to their squad. While they are far from playoff contention, it has still been a pleasure for NBA fans to watch these two in action for the Wolves. They should be a force to be reckoned with for years to come aside forward Kevin Love.
Ryan Heckman is a Minnesota Timberwolves writer and NBA contributor for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google
