T-Wolves without Rubio, Pekovic, Garnett against Knicks

Minnesota point guard Ricky Rubio is getting the second night of a back-to-back off, joining a number of Timberwolves players who will be on the sidelines for Thursday's clash against the New York Knicks. 

Rubio returned to the court Wednesday after missing a pair of contests with an ankle injury and scored two points with eight assists and eight rebounds over 30 minutes in a loss to the Toronto Raptors. He missed nearly three months with a severe ankle sprain earlier in the season, so the team is likely just exercising caution with the 24-year-old. 

Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Garnett are joining Rubio on the sidelines. So, too, are Justin Hamilton and Gary Neal, leaving the Timberwolves severely undermanned for their matchup at Madison Square Garden. 

Pekovic is battling an ankle injury of his own, which has forced him to miss the team's last four games, while Garnett has been bothered by knee soreness and is set to miss his seventh straight contest. Garnett has appeared in only five games since joining the Timberwolves at the trade deadline. 

The group will have a few days to recover until the Timberwolves' Sunday night contest versus the Charlotte Hornets.