After Austin Croshere got waived, Ryan Gomes is now the only former Providence Friar in the NBA.  I will try to give a Gomes update each week.

Since Minnesota lost Al Jefferson for the year, Gomes has really stepped up.

Here are his lines the last 5 games.

2/18 vs MIA - 20 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals
2/20 vs IND - 26 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
2/22 vs LAL - 20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
2/24 vs TOR - 23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists
2/25 vs UTA - 24 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block

Of course Minnesota has only won 1 of those last 5 (versus Miami last Wednesday).  The Timberwolves are now 18-39.

(Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)

Through 57 games, here are Gomes’ averages.

———————————————

31 minutes

12.6 Points

4.6 Rebounds

1.6 Assists

———————————————

Minnesota’s next game is Friday night against Portland.

After Austin Croshere got waived, Ryan Gomes is now the only former Providence Friar in the NBA.  I will try to give a Gomes update each week.

The Timberwolves won 1 of 3 games this week, with Ryan Gomes performing well in each game.  On Friday night, he his best game of the season.  Let’s take a look at all the games from the week.

2/17/09 - Minnesota 103, Washington 111

Jamison gets 29; Wizards beat Timberwolves 111-103

Coming out of the All-Star break, the last-place Washington Wizards set a goal of playing at least .500 ball for the rest of the season.

Then they went out and blew a 19-point, first-half lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves, another team reeling from the loss of its best player.

The Wizards avoided further embarrassment by pulling away in the final minute for a 111-103 victory Tuesday night in a game that guaranteed that at least one struggling team would start the season’s homestretch on a good note.

Gomes’ line: 29 mins, 15 points, 6-18 shooting (1-4 3FG), 5 rebounds, 1 assist

2/18/09 - Minnesota 111, Miami 104

Wolves spoil O’Neal’s debut, beat Heat

Telfair had a career-high 30 points and eight assists, Ryan Gomes added 20 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves spoiled O’Neal’s debut in Miami by hitting a season-high 14 3-pointers and beating the Heat 111-104 on Wednesday night.

Gomes’ line: 36 mins, 20 points, 8-14 shooting (3-4 3FG), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals

2/20/09 - Minnesota 105, Indiana 112

Daniels, Pacers hold off T-wolves with 112-105 win

Marquis Daniels filled in for injured All-Star Danny Granger just fine, scoring 24 points in Granger’s place in the starting lineup and leading the Indiana Pacers past the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-105 on Friday night.

Troy Murphy added 16 points and 14 rebounds, helping the Pacers overcome a career-high 36 points by Randy Foye while the Timberwolves missed 18 of 41 free throws.

Gomes’ line: 35 mins, 26 points (SEASON HIGH), 10-19 shooting (2-3 3FG), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

Even more interesting about this game was all of the former BIG EAST players involved.

IND - Troy Murphy - 16 points (ND)

IND - Roy Hibbert - 7 points (Georgetown)

Minn - Randy Foye - 36 points (Nova)

Minn - Craig Smith - 3 points

And obviously our boy Ryan Gomes with 26 points.

After Austin Croshere got waived, Ryan Gomes is now the only former Providence Friar in the NBA.  I will try to give a Gomes update each week.

It was a quiet week in the NBA, what with the All-Star game festivities and what not.  The Minnesota Timberwolves only played one game, losing 102-110 on Tuesday to the Toronto Raptors.

Kapono sparks Raptors over Timberwolves

Randy Foye had a career-high 33 points and eight rebounds for the Wolves, who played the first game of the rest of the season without center Al Jefferson. And that future looks grim.

Ouch.

At least our boy Ryan Gomes had a great night offensively.

Gomes’ line: 34 minutes, 17 points on 7-17 shooting (1-6 3FG), 5 rebounds, 2 assists.

Through 51 games, here are Gomes’ averages.

———————————————

31 minutes

11.5 Points

4.4 Rebounds

1.6 Assists

———————————————

After Austin Croshere got waived, Ryan Gomes is now the only former Providence Friar in the NBA.  I will try to give a Gomes update each week.

The T-Wolves played four games this week and went 1-3

2/3/09: Minnesota 116, Indiana 111

Foye leads Wolves past Pacers

Indiana stopped Al Jefferson, which is the usual recipe for success against Minnesota.

Unfortunately for the Pacers, the rest of the Timberwolves went off.

Ryan Gomes: 35 mins, 16 points, 7-18 shooting (2-6 3FG), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

Ryan Gomes played for Minnesota while the Friars held “Ryan Gomes” bobblehead night for their game against Villanova.  PC lost a tough one, and Gomes himself did not do very well in his game against the Hawks.

2/4/09: Minnesota 86, Atlanta 94

Williams helps Hawks overcome loss of Johnson

Maybe that concussion knocked some sense into Marvin Williams.

With All-Star Joe Johnson at home with an illness, Williams filled in beautifully with 23 points and 10 rebounds to lift the Hawks to a 94-86 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Ryan Gomes: 40 mins, 3 points, 1-10 shooting (0-4 3FG), 3 rebounds, 2 assists

2/7/09 - Minnesota 90, Houston 107

Yao, Alston lead Rockets past Minnesota 107-90

The Houston Rockets keep saying they need to play better defense. That’s what it took to turn around their game with Minnesota on Saturday night.

Yao Ming scored 30 points, Rafer Alston added 22 and the Rockets rallied from a 15-point deficit in the first half to beat the Timberwolves 107-90.

Tracy McGrady added 15 points and Ron Artest 14 for the Rockets, who also overcame Al Jefferson’s 36 points to beat Minnesota for the sixth straight time.

Ryan Gomes: 32 mins, 12 points, 5-14 shooting (1-5 3FG), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)

2/8/09: Minnesota 97, New Orleans 101

Hornets defeat Timberwolves, 101-97

Sean Marks came up empty as he searched his memory for the last time he was on the court in the final minutes of a close game.

Yet the Hornets’ backup big man came through in the waning moments against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night.

Marks dunked with 7.8 seconds left to cap a career-high 18-point effort, and the short-handed Hornets overcame the ejection of David West in a 101-97 victory.

Minnesota’s loss wasted a strong performance by Ryan Gomes, whose five 3-pointers were a career-high for a single game.

Ryan Gomes: 36 mins, 21 points, 8-14 shooting (5-6 3FG), 5 rebounds, 2 assists

Through 50 games, here are Gomes’ averages.

———————————————

31 minutes

11.4 Points

4.4 Rebounds

1.6 Assists

———————————————

Minnesota is now 17-33.  They only have one game this week due to the All-Star game this coming weekend.

After Austin Croshere got waived, Ryan Gomes is now the only former Providence Friar in the NBA.  I will try to give a Gomes update each week.

First off, the Minnesota Timberwolves finished off their week in Boston, so the Projo had a few articles about Ryan.

“Gomes has Providence in his heart…both the school and the city”

“Ex-Friar Gomes thrives in Minn.”

Minnesota played 4 games this past week.  While they continued their hot January by winning last Monday (they finished 10-4 for the month), the T-Wolves dropped 3 straight, including yesterday afternoon’s loss in Boston.

Let’s check it out game by game.

1/26/09 - Minnesota 90, Milwaukee 83

Jefferson’s double-double leads T’wolves

Jefferson had 23 points and 10 rebounds as he roamed the paint freely and Ryan Gomes added 22 points, lifting the Timberwolves over the short-handed Bucks 90-83.

Ryan Gomes’ line: 33 mins, 22 points, 6-10 shooting (3-5 from 3FG), 8 rebounds

1/28/09 - Minnesota 89, Detroit 98

‘Sheed overwhelms Timberwolves

That swagger the Detroit Pistons gained through six straight trips to the Eastern Conference finals has been mysteriously absent most of this season.

If anyone can help them find it, it’s Rasheed Wallace.

Looking like the ‘Sheed who helped the Pistons to the title in 2004, Wallace tied a season high with 25 points and had 10 rebounds to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 98-89 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Gomes’ line: 38 mins, 10 points, 4-7 shooting (1-3 3FG), 5 rebounds

1/30/09 - Minnesota 119, Lakers 132

Bynum, Lakers too big for T-wolves in 132-119 win

Andrew Bynum is a big reason why the Los Angeles Lakers have the best record in the Western Conference.

And, boy, is he playing big.

Bynum bulled his way inside to 27 points and 15 rebounds, providing the perfect complement to Kobe Bryant and his 30 points, and the Lakers started a six-game road trip with a 132-119 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

Gomes’ line: 32 mins, 14 points, 5-15 shooting (1-4 3FG), 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

2/1/09 - Minnesota 101, Boston 109

Celtics win 11th straight, top Wolves 109-101

Kevin Garnett was home with the flu, so Paul Pierce had a chance to pretend that he was once again the Boston Celtics’ only All-Star.

Al Jefferson, the centerpiece of the trade that brought Garnett to Boston, scored 34 points for the Timberwolves, who lost their third in a row since winning 10 of 12. It’s the 19th time he has scored at least 30 points in his career, the sixth since Dec. 20 and the first time he has done it in back-to-back games.

Gomes’ line: 39 mins, 17 points, 7-13 shooting (1-4 3FG), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 1 block

Through 46 games, here are Gomes’ averages.

———————————————

31 minutes

11.3 Points

4.4 Rebounds

1.6 Assists

———————————————

Minnesota is now 16-30, 10th place in the Western Conference.  They play Tuesday against the Pacers, Wednesday against the Hawks, and Saturday at Houston.

After Austin Croshere got waived, Ryan Gomes is now the only former Providence Friar in the NBA.  I will try to give a Gomes update each week.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are like a different team in January.   After taking 3 of 4 games over this past week, they are now 9-2 in 2009!

1/19/09 - Minnesota 94, LA Clippers 86

Jefferson helps Timberwolves beat Clippers 94-86

Al Jefferson scored 20 points and tied a season high with 17 rebounds, and Craig Smith also had 20 points for the Timberwolves in their 94-86 victory over the Clippers.

Ryan Gomes: 30 mins, 14 points (7-13 shooting), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

1/20/09 - Minnesota 107, Utah 112

Okur and Jazz beat Wolves 112-107

When the game got tight, Mehmet Okur took over for the Utah Jazz.

After the Minnesota Timberwolves cut a big lead to one, Okur hit consecutive 3-pointers to boosted the Jazz past Minnesota 112-107 Tuesday night for their seventh straight home win.

The Wolves never led, but cut the lead the 97-96 on Randy Foye?s 3-pointer.

Ryan Gomes and Foye led Minnesota’s rally with late 3-pointers and each finished with 19 points.

Ryan Gomes: 35 mins, 19 points (8-16 shooting, 3-6 from three-point land), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals.

(Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)

1/23/09 - Minnesota 116, New Orleans 108

Wolves rally to beat Hornets

The Hornets were playing without their two best interior defenders—Tyson Chandler and David West—and were left with only Melvin Ely and Ryan Bowen to defend one of the best young post players in the game.

If it sounds like a mismatch, it was.

Jefferson had 24 points and 14 rebounds and Minnesota controlled the paint in a 116-108 victory over the Hornets.

Ryan Gomes: 27 mins, 5 pionts (2-6 shooting), 3 rebounds, 2 assists

1/25/09 - Minnesota 109, Chicago 108

Jefferson scores 39 as T-Wolves beat Bulls in OT

Play after play, Minnesota fed the ball into the post. And no matter how many Chicago defenders were there, the Bulls had no answer for Al Jefferson.

Jefferson scored a season-high 39 points and carried the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 109-108 overtime victory over the Bulls on Sunday night for their ninth win in 11 games.

Ryan Gomes: 27 mins, 7 points (3-11 shooting), 7 rebounds, 1 steal

Through 42 games, here are Gomes’ averages.

———————————————

30 minutes

10.9 Points

4.3 Rebounds

1.7 Assists

———————————————

Minnesota is now 15-27 (10th place in the Wester Conference)

After Austin Croshere got waived, Ryan Gomes is now the only former Providence Friar in the NBA.  I will try to give a Gomes update each week.

Well Minnesota’s winning streak had to end sometime — it did last a surprising 5 games!

1/13/09 - Minnesota 96, Miami 99

Wade outduels Foye, Heat beat Wolves

Dwyane Wade was his usual remarkable self on Tuesday night against Minnesota, and it almost wasn’t enough.

Wade had 31 points and eight assists in a wildly entertaining duel with Randy Foye, and Shawn Marion hit the go-ahead free throws with 22 seconds left to lift the Miami Heat to a 99-96 victory over the Timberwolves

Gomes’ line: 21 minutes, 11 points (5-8 shooting), 5 rebounds, 2 steals

1/17/09 - Minnesota 105, Phoenix 103

Foye’s late basket lifts Timberwolves past Suns

Randy Foye’s escape act from the corner helped the Minnesota Timberwolves escape with a win.

Foye made a 20-foot jumper with 1:58 remaining—and one second left on the shot clock—that propelled Minnesota to a 105-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

Ryan Gomes: 26 mins, 3 points (1-6 shooting), 6 rebounds, 1 assist

Gomes on the Wolves’ recent success under new coach Kevin McHale

The tempo is much different,” forward Ryan Gomes said. “We had a tendency in the beginning, when teams scored baskets on us, we walked it up the court a lot. It was more of a slow grind. Now when teams score, we’re trying to get a layup in transition and pushing the ball. We like playing that way.”

“Coming into the season, that’s what I thought,” Gomes said. “I thought we were going to be an up-tempo, fast-break team, knowing that we still had a big guy to go to in the half-court set. If we keep playing the way we’re playing, I don’t know what the limit will be.”

Through 38 games, here are Gomes’ averages.

———————————————

30 minutes

10.8 Points

4.3 Rebounds

1.7 Assists

———————————————

Minnesota is now 12-26.

Their next game is Monday against the Clippers

Since Austin Croshere don’t get any run on his team, Ryan Gomes is the only former Friar in the NBA who gets any serious playing time. So, I am going to try to give a little Gomes update after each Timberwolves game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have played three games last week, and won ‘em all!  That makes them 5-0 in January.

During this winning streak, Ryan Gomes has averaged 16 points and 5.4 rebounds.

1/6/09 - Minnesota 94, Memphis 87

“Foye leads Timberwolves to third straight win”

Foye scored 23 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 40 seconds left, and the Timberwolves weathered a late rally to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 94-87 Tuesday night.

Following his basket, Foye blocked O.J. Mayo’s shot on the next Memphis possession, leading to a fast-break basket by Ryan Gomes, and the Timberwolves secured their third straight win—the first time they’ve won three in a row since January 2007.

Gomes’ line: 14 pts (5-11 shooting, 2-4 3FG), 5 rebounds (all offensive), 2 assists, 2 steals

1/7/09 - Minnesota 129, Oklahoma City 87

Foye, Wolves keep rolling over Thunder

Foye matched his career high with 32 points in just three quarters and the Wolves won their fourth straight game, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 129-87 on Wednesday night.

Gomes: 26 mins, 10 pts (4-12 shooting, 2-7 3FG), rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

1/10/09 - Minnesota 106, Milwaukee 104

Wolves rally to beat Bucks for 5th straight

Randy Foye scored 10 of his 11 points in the fourth quarter and the Timberwolves rallied from 13 points down in the second half for a thrilling 106-104 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.

Coach Kevin McHale was ejected after the first quarter with two quick technicals by referee Sean Corbin and Al Jefferson fouled out with 1:29 to play and the Wolves clinging to a three-point lead.

Gomes: 31 mins, 16 points (4-8 shooting, 2-2 3FG, 6-6 FT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Ryan Gomes has become the team’s defensive stopper since Corey Brewer was lost for the season in November because of a torn knee ligament. He got the job again Saturday when Richard Jefferson was his assignment.

Through 36 games, here are Gomes’ averages.

———————————————

30 minutes

11 Points

4.2 Rebounds

1.8 Assists

———————————————

The Timberwolves are now 11-25, which is good for 10th in the Western Conference.

They have two games this week — Tuesday vs. Miami and Friday at Phoenix.

Since Austin Croshere don’t get any run on his team, Ryan Gomes is the only former Friar in the NBA who gets any serious playing time. So, I am going to try to give a little Gomes update after each Timberwolves game.

It was a busy week for Friarblog, trying to balance a real job, Big East action, and the holiday.  As a result, the hamster fell off the wheel for the Gomes Tracker, as we last gave an update after Minnesota’s loss on December 27th.  Since then, the Timberwolves won 3 of 4 games, including TWO IN A ROW FOR THE FIRST FUCKING TIME ALL SEASON!  I’m utterly shocked.  Ryan Gomes has been pretty awesome as well.

Let’s take you through their games and see how Ryan did.

12/29/08 - Minnesota 108, Memphis 98 (OT)

“Jefferson’s 38 lead Wolves past Mayo, Grizzlies”

Jefferson scored a season-high 38 points, including nine in overtime, and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 108-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.

Ryan Gomes - 37 mins, 9 points (4-9 from the field, 1-4 from downtown), 3 rebounds, 4 assists.  Gomes hit the Wolves only three! The rest of the team was 0-11 from behind the arc.  Yet they still won.

—————————————————————

12/30/08 - Minnesota 100, Dallas 107

“Mavericks rally from 29 down to stun Timberwolves”

Wow that’s a new way to lose.  Blowing a 29 point lead

The Timberwolves led 70-41 early in the third quarter when the Mavericks started their comeback, the largest in franchise history.

29 points in 22 minutes.  Ouch.

Ryan Gomes - Had one of his best games of the year.  He Scored 19 points on 8-11 shooting (including a nice 3-4 from 3-point land).  He also chipped in with 3 rebounds.

—————————————————————

What will 2009 bring for the Wolves?  So far, nothing but victories!

1/2/2009 - Minnesota 115, Golden State 108

“Wolves hold lead against Warriors”

With the biggest collapse in a franchise history full of them still fresh in their minds, the Minnesota Timberwolves finally figured out how to close a game.

Wow Yahoo, way to rub in the last game.  Yes, the Wolves held the lead this time.

Ryan Gomes - Had his second straight strong game.  He scored 13 of his 21 points in the third quarter and also had 10 rebounds. Overall he shot 9-16, and 2-3 from 3-point land (in 28 mins of play)

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS FOR A NICE GOMES DUNK AND A THREE

—————————————————————

1/4/2009 - Minnesota 102, Chicago 92

“Timberwoles beat Bulls for 2nd straight win”

The Minnesota Timberwolves celebrated their first winning streak of the season—at the Chicago Bulls’ expense.

Randy Foye scored 21 points, Al Jefferson added 18 points and 14 rebounds and the Minnesota won consecutive games for the first time this season, beating Chicago 102-92 on Saturday night.

“It took until the new year to get it,” Wolves forward Ryan Gomes said. “We just know what we can do now. We hadn’t seen it done until tonight, but we believed we could”

Ryan Gomes delivered his third consecutive game of 19 points or more and provided the 3-pointer that was the centerpiece of a 7-0 run after the Bulls pulled within 85-84 with 3:32 left. McHale called the play of Gomes “huge”

F Ryan Gomes followed Tuesday’s 19-point game at Dallas and Friday’s 21-point, 10-rebound game against Golden State (his first double-double of the season) with another 19-point game Saturday night that included a big 3-point shot with 2:02 left.

CHECK OUT THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR GOMES’ DAGGER 3 WITH 2 MINS LEFT

Through 33 games, here are Gomes’ averages.

———————————————

30 minutes

10.8 Points

4.2 Rebounds

1.8 Assists

———————————————

The Timberwolves have won 4 of 6 games!   In these last 6 games Ryan Gomes has averaged 15.3 points per game.

Their record is now 8-25.  Next game is Tuesday against Memphis.

Since Austin Croshere don’t get any run on his team, Ryan Gomes is the only former Friar in the NBA who gets any serious playing time. So, I am going to try to give a little Gomes update after each Timberwolves game.

The holiday week was pretty busy for Friarblog, so let’s catch up with the Minnesota Timberwolves.  They played three games this past week, the most important being their day after Christmas victory over the Knicks — their FIRST FUCKING WIN IN DECEMBER!

On Tuesday, the Wolves’ losing streak hit 13 as they lost 99-93 to the San Antonio Spurs.

Gomes had his fourth straight quiet game, despite playing 35 minutes.  He went 3-8 from the field and had 7 points, 2 rebounds, and no assists.

On Friday, Santa came a little late and delivered a win for Minnesota — the first for coach Kevin McHale.  The Wolves defeated the New York Knicks 120-107.

“The guys have been playing hard and we really needed this one,” McHale said. “At the end of the game I said, ‘Thank God,’ and I meant it.

Jefferson added 21 points and 15 rebounds in the Timberwolves’ first victory since beating Oklahoma City on Nov. 28. They had dropped their first eight games under McHale, who took over when Randy Wittman was fired Dec. 8.

(Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

Ryan Gomes hit double figures for the first time in a while (10 points), but still had an off night shooting overall (2-9).  However, he hit 2-6 from downtown and was 4-4 from the line.  Gomes also chipped in with 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

Could the T-Wolves pull off a miracle 2 game winning streak?  Nope.

On Saturday night, the Orlando Magic won their 7th straight game in beating Minnesota 118-94.

Gomes had one of his best games in a few weeks, ending with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists.  He shot 5-10 from the field overall and 1-1 from downtown.

Through 29 games, here are Gomes’ averages.

———————————————

30 minutes

10.0 Points

4.1 Rebounds

1.8 Assists

———————————————

Minnesota is now 5-24 (tied for 2nd worst record in the NBA — Oklahoma City is 3-28!).  Their next game is Monday night against Memphis.