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MINNEAPOLIS -- With the Memphis Grizzlies front office in turmoil, the Minnesota Timberwolves are strongly considering hiring coach Dave Joerger away to take over the team in his home state. The Timberwolves received permission from the Grizzlies to interview Joerger and will meet with him on Thursday, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The people requested anonymity because the Timberwolves are not commenting publicly on their coaching candidates, but all indications were that Joerger was in the drivers seat to replace the retired Rick Adelman. Joerger, who is from Staples, Minnesota, and went to college at Division-II Minnesota State, Moorhead, went 50-32 in his first season as Grizzlies coach. After a rough start while the team transitioned from coaching veteran Lionel Hollins to the first-timer Joerger, the Grizzlies pulled together, overcame several injuries to key players and surged to the seventh seed in the hyper-competitive Western Conference. But after pushing the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games before losing in the first round, owner Robert Pera made the surprising decision to overhaul the front office. He fired CEO Jason Levien and director of player personnel Stu Lash, two moves that immediately called into question Joergers job security. Joerger goes way back with Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders. As a young coach trying to make his way up the ladder, Joerger came to watch Saunders, who coached the Timberwolves from 1995-2005, run practices. The two formed a mutual respect which lasts to this day. "The Timberwolves are the only NBA team of the 30 in the league that are in his home state and after having a long and honest conversation with Dave, he felt he owed it to his family, which resides entirely in Minnesota ... and we felt we owed it to Dave to at least have a discussion in this regard," Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace told ESPN 92.9 FM in Memphis. Asked if that was best for the Grizzlies, Wallace said he didnt see anything wrong with granting Joerger the chance to talk. "Hes just been granted permission to talk and will do so soon," said Wallace, who has assumed interim watch over the basketball operations while Pera restructures the front office. Saunders, who coached in the CBA before breaking into the NBA, has long had an affinity for coaches who had to grind it out in the minor leagues, believing they learn not only how to coach, but to run an organization. Joerger won championships in the NBDL, the International Basketball Association and the CBA before joining the Grizzlies as an assistant to Hollins. Joergers experience as a head coach last year with the Grizzlies helps him fit the profile Saunders is looking for in a replacement for Adelman. Saunders has said he wants a proven coach who knows the demands of running an NBA team, including handling questions from the media. The latter qualification is of particular concern for the Wolves right now with star forward Kevin Love set to opt out of his contract after next season. The Wolves are considering all their options with Love, including potentially trading him this summer. If the Wolves do not trade Love, they will head into the season with one of the major story lines in the league, one sure to draw attention from media all across the country. Thats part of the reason Saunders is reluctant to turn over the keys to a first-time head coach. The Timberwolves opening has also been linked to Hollins and college coaching stars such as Michigan States Tom Izzo, Floridas Billy Donovan and Iowa States Fred Hoiberg. Saunders has yet to offer the job to anyone, but it is believed that the uncertainty surrounding Love has caused some of the more high profile names on Saunders list to give tepid responses to inquiries. The situation with Love in Minnesota pales in comparison to the upheaval in Memphis, and the opportunity to bring his family back to his home state could be enough to convince Joerger to make the move from a team that was in the Western Conference finals two years ago to a franchise that hasnt made the playoffs since 2004. Cheap Baseball Jerseys Authentic .com) - Many people at Eastern Washington are waiting to see if star quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Pinch-hitter Tommy Medica singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their first home game since Gwynn died of cancer Monday. http://www.wholesalecheapauthenticnfljerseys.com/ . Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points, Shawn Marion had 22 and the Mavericks beat undermanned Philadelphia 124-112 Friday night, handing the 76ers their 10th straight loss. Cheap China Jerseys . Louis, MO (SportsNetwork. Wholesale Authentic NFL Jerseys . She still remembers the massive roar of the home crowd when the Canadians walked out on the pitch before 47,784 fans at Commonwealth Stadium in 2002. Lang expects a similar reception for the Canadian team as the host nation at this years tournament, which begins Tuesday.It is crunch time for Vancouver Whitecaps. With six matches remaining the Caps currently hold the fifth and final playoff spot in Major League Soccers Western Conference - but Vancouvers postseason chances could look very different by Saturday night. In what will be their biggest game of the season so far, the Whitecaps head to Portland to face a Timbers side that sits just one point and one lace below them in the West (Saturday at 5pm et/2pm pt live on TSN). The Form: The Whitecaps havent won enough games recently – just two in their last 12 – but at least they have started scoring again. Vancouver went four games without a goal before beating San Jose at home last week, then losing 2-1 at FC Dallas on Saturday. There were plenty of positives to draw from their performance at Dallas, but its now eight matches without a win away from home for the Caps, dating back to their 4-3 triumph at Portland on June 1. With three home games remaining and three on the road, whether the Caps make the playoffs will likely depend on how many points they can pick up at BC Place from games against Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas and Colorado Rapids, but if they can avoid defeat in Portland it would give their hopes a massive boost. Like the Whitecaps, the Portland Timbers havent been consistent enough through the summer months. They come into this match unbeaten in their last three matches, but have only won four games since the World Cup break and have dropped points at home in their last two with a 4-2 defeat against Seattle and a 3-3 tie versus San Jose. The Big Question: Will one of Vancouvers young guns regain their scoring touch? The Whitecaps decided not to make a move to bolster their attacking options before the MLS roster freeze earlier this week with Vice President of Soccer Operations Greg Anderson telling Marc Weber of The Province: "We were looking at long and short-term options. We werent going to mortgage our future to bring someone in. "We spent a lot of time researching any option to determine whether the player fit into our playing style and whether their character would fit in, and we just decided that none of the options that presented themselves were the right fit," he said. The Whitecaps already have targets identified to bring to the club in January, but for now their postseason chances will likely rely on Erik Hurtado, Darren Mattocks or Kekuta Manneh scoring some goals down the stretch. Hurtado got five in five games earlier this season, including one against Portland, but he then had a long drought prior to finding the net at Dallas last week. He took the goal well in Frisco, and Carl Robinson will be hoping Hurtados strike can be the start of another hot streak. The Opposition: Last season, Portland set the standard in the Western Conference. They qualified for the playoffs for the first time in MLS, setting club records for points (57), wins (14) and goals scored (54). They finished just two points behind Supporters Shield winners New York Red Bulls. However, this year has been a ddifferent story and the Timbers find themselves currently chasing the final playoff place in the West.dddddddddddd Only Chivas USA has conceded more goals in the West than the Timbers this season, and their home form has not been as strong as they would want. But Caleb Porters side has no problem scoring goals. While they may lack at the back, they have plenty of creativity and attacking options going forward, making them an exciting team to watch. Diego Valeri must be stopped if the Caps are to get anything from the game. The excellent Argentine playmaker has eight goals and 13 assists this season, and comes into the match in very good form. He had a goal and an assist in the 2-2 tie at Colorado last week, and has five assists in his last three matches. Max Urruti scored twice in the Timbers 4-2 Champions League win at home to CD Olimpia of Honduras on Tuesday, and Canadian international Will Johnson also found the net in that match. Johnson has a habit of coming up with big performances against Vancouver. The Lineup: Robinson has switched to a 4-4-2 diamond midfield in recent weeks and is likely to stick with that at Portland. After resting Pedro Morales at Dallas, the Whitecaps captain should return to the XI at a venue where he had one of his best games of the season. Morales had two goals and two assists on his last visit to Portland. Veteran defender Andy OBrien is expected to return after being rested at Dallas. OBrien has started to form a strong partnership alongside the Caps excellent new signing Kendall Waston and it will be important to have the duo back together against the Timbers. The main decision for Robinson will be who to play up front. Hurtado should get the start after scoring at Dallas last week. There is also the potential boost to his game because he is returning home, having grown up in Beaverton, just outside Portland. Sebastian Fernandez would seem the likely choice to partner Hurtado in attack. The Odds: The Whitecaps have already been to Portland this season and come away with three points. They also scored four goals on that day back in June to earn their most memorable win of the season so far - but that was their first victory against the Timbers in MLS. The Caps record (1-4-5) shows the problems they have had getting maximum points against their Cascadia rivals in the past few years. The Whitecaps form and confidence is not at the same level it was when they secured the 4-3 victory earlier this year, but they still have the ability within the squad to cause an upset against a Portland side that has had some struggles at home this season. At this stage of the season - and with the Timbers just behind them in the standings - a draw away from home would be something to celebrate for the Caps before they head home for back-to-back matches at BC Place. Where to Watch: Jason deVos and Perry Solkowski join me for Portland Timbers against Vancouver Whitecaps live from Providence Park on Saturday. The broadcast gets underway at 5pm et/2pm pt on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5. ' ' '