are both in need of upgr

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MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves have just two regular-season games remaining Authentic Anthony Miller Jersey , and it is possible they will need to win both to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

One reason occurred two weeks ago when the Memphis Grizzlies shot 47.6 percent and handed the Timberwolves a 101-93 home loss.

Minnesota hopes to atone for its sub-par showing against the Grizzlies Monday night when the teams get together at the Target Center.

Minnesota (45-35) enters the game against Memphis in the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves (45-35) have the same record as the Denver Nuggets, but Minnesota currently holds the tiebreaker, though it hosts Denver Wednesday.

Ahead of the Timberwolves are a cluster of teams all jockeying for playoff positioning. The Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are the four teams immediately ahead of Minnesota in the wild Western Conference playoff race.

Helping Minnesota’s chances in its final two games is the return of veteran Jimmy Butler, who missed 17 games with a knee injury. Butler returned to action on Friday and helped lift the Timberwolves over the Los Angeles Lakers in a much-needed road win by scoring 18 points in a 113-96 win.

On Friday Authentic Pat Neshek Jersey , Butler scored 11 points after halftime when the Wolves outscored the Lakers by a 62-38 margin.

Minnesota struggled without its Butler on the court, especially on the defensive end. In Butler’s absence, the Wolves went 8-9, allowed 109.8 points per game, posted a 109.6 defensive rating and allowed opponents to shoot 47.4 percent from the field.

“When you play hard, just good things happen Connor Williams Jersey Cowboys ,” Butler told the Minneapolis Star Tribune after Friday’s win. “Hopefully, everybody takes note of that and realizes how important these games are down the stretch. Now we need to go get two more.”

The first of Minnesota’s remaining two games is against a Grizzlies club with the second-worst record in the NBA. However, Memphis (22-5 held Minnesota to 41 percent shooting two weeks ago.

“I give those guys a ton of credit for battling and fighting through the ups and downs of the season,” Grizzlies interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told the Memphis Commercial Appeal after beating the Timberwolves. “Not giving in and competing.”

Memphis also posted a 95-92 home victory on Dec. 4 in Memphis. Given what’s at stake, the Timberwolves can’t afford to go 0-3 to the Grizzlies, especially since Minnesota also owns eight defeats to teams with at least 50 losses this season.

The Grizzlies are coming off a 130-117-win Sunday against Detroit when they shot a season-high 57.8 percent and also made 48.5 percent of 3-point shots.

Memphis is 4-8 since snapping a 19-game losing streak March 17 against Denver.

It’s possible Minnesota could clinch a playoff spot Monday Youth Logan Woodside Jersey , but it would need some help. The Timberwolves would first have to win. They would also need San Antonio to beat Sacramento and would need Denver to lose to Portland.

If all three of those don’t happen Monday, that makes Wednesday’s regular-season finale against Denver even more crucial.

“Last time I had two games that mattered a lot, it didn’t end well,” Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns told the Star Tribune, referring to his only season of college basketball at Kentucky when he lost to Wisconsin in the national semifinals three years ago. “Let’s hope this one goes right.”

Free agent cornerback Vontae Davis has met with the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders about upgrading their secondaries.

A person familiar with Davis' plans says he met with the Raiders on Wednesday after meeting with 49ers the previous day. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the meetings were not made public. Davis has also reportedly met with Cleveland and Buffalo

Davis is a two-time Pro Bowler who is on the open market after being released by Indianapolis last November. Because he was cut, Davis can sign with a team immediately instead of waiting for the start of the new league year next month.

Davis lost his starting job midway through last season and then did not travel with the team for a game in Houston for "non-injury" reasons. Davis was then cut a few days later.

Davis said before the release that he had been hampered all season by a torn groin suffered in the third preseason game but the Colts said they were unaware of lingering problems from the injury.

Opposing quarterbacks had a 79.5 passer rating when targeting Davis in 2015-16 Marquis Haynes Jersey Panthers , according to SportRadar. But he struggled last season, allowing a 105.7 rating.

Davis spent his first three seasons with Miami after being a first-round pick in 2009. He was traded to the Colts before the 2012 season and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and '15.

Davis has 22 career interceptions with 97 passes defensed and two sacks.

The Raiders and 49ers are both in need of upgrades at cornerback. San Francisco could lose starter Dontae Johnson in free agency next month after having traded Rashard Robinson during the season. The only cornerbacks under contract who played more than a handful of snaps last season are 2017 third-round pick Ahkello Witherspoon and slot cornerback K'Waun Williams.

Oakland released starter David Amerson earlier this month and could also cut starter Sean Smith in order to create more salary cap room. Slot cornerback TJ Carrie is eligible to be a free agent, leaving last year's first-round pick Gareon Conley as the only projected starter currently under contract. C0nley played just two games as a rookie because of injuries.

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