Flynn, Rambis not troubled by rookie's slump

MEMPHIS - The Timberwolves reached the midway point of their season Friday night by playing their 41st game.

That's already three more games than rookie Jonny Flynn played all last season at Syracuse.

Flynn scored eight points on 4-for-15 shooting in Friday's 135-110 loss to the Grizzlies, the last game of an 0-4 road trip. During the road trip, Flynn shot 27.3 percent from the floor and averaged 9.8 points per game. Might he be hitting the proverbial rookie wall?

"I don't think so," Flynn, averaging 13.9 points per game this season, said before the game. "My body feels great. Just some games, you're not going to have the best games. I wouldn't put that due to a rookie wall or anything like that. It's just the way the ball bounces.

"I'm doing good. My legs are feeling great. My body's feeling good. I think I'm doing other things -- setting people up, getting some steals -- when the ball's not going through the basket."

Wolves coach Kurt Rambis said he has been contemplating unspecified lineup changes for days. Substituting Ramon Sessions for Flynn at starting point guard is not of them, he said.

"No," Rambis said of Flynn. "When you go back and look at where he was in training camp and where he is now, he has made tremendous strides. He makes mistakes out there, but that's fully expected. I wouldn't expect anything less. I'd be shocked if he didn't make mistakes. Even when he struggles shooting the basketball, I see other things he's doing well."

Reunion

It doesn't quite have the right ring -- or the weight -- to it that Roy-Foye did. But Memphis guard O.J. Mayo and Wolves forward Kevin Love will forever be linked and compared with each other because of that draft-night trade in 2008.

Denver coach George Karl earlier this week was asked to pick one or the other. He said he slightly prefers Mayo.

"That's a tough question," he said. "I think Mayo might be a point guard someday."

Tricky

Friday's game proceeded without incident, only three nights after the Grizzlies' game against the Los Angeles Clippers was delayed by 36 minutes after a water main broke, fire alarms sounded and FedEx Forum was evacuated.

The Clippers led by 12 by then, late in the third quarter. When played resumed, the Grizzlies rallied to win 104-102.

"Just a fluke thing," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "I'm not sure we wouldn't have come back and won the game anyway, but that break certainly cooled things off."

Upcoming

Monday's Martin Luther King Day matinee game against Philadelphia at Target Center will be preceded by an original theatrical performance called "Taking A Stand ... Moving the Dream Forward."

The 30-minute production, performed by Twin Cities high school students, begins at noon before the 2:30 game. A game ticket is required.

Etc.

• Wolves center Al Jefferson's 26 rebounds in Wednesday's triple-overtime loss at Houston were the most in the NBA this season. Memphis forward Zach Randolph has the most in a non-overtime game this season, with 24 on Dec. 20 against Denver.

• About 20 family members and friends made the three-plus hour trip from Portland, Tenn., to watch Wolves guard Corey Brewer play in his home state. Brewer led the Wolves with 22 points.