Dunking With Wolves
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Wolves Wrap: 76ers hang on to beat Wolves

By Ben Beecken

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93. Final. 94. 86. 103

This was basketball hell. I’m pretty sure of it.

The Wolves remain the only team in the entire NBA to log two consecutive wins on the season. It was a golden opportunity, facing what was supposed to be the worst team in the league this season. The team that lost 17 straight games to start the season. The team that broke that streak by beating these same Wolves in November to improve their record to 1-17 on the season.

Two terrible offensive teams couldn’t miss in the first half, as the complete and utter lack of defense by both sides led to a 61-59 76ers lead at the break. The Wolves managed to pull within one at the start of the fourth quarter.

And then the turnovers started. Veterans Kevin Martin and Thaddeus Young were the main culprits, of course, with Young turning the ball over four times in the second half alone and the duo combining to commit a shocking nine turnovers on the night.

The Wolves had a chance to pull within the score of 94-90 with four minutes remaining, but Young dribbled into a one-on-three and simply lost the ball to the Sixers. And that was as close as the Timberwolves would get.

The carelessness with the ball is disconcerting, and it wasn’t the fault of the rookies — Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, and Anthony Bennett combined to commit exactly three turnovers in the entire game. The Wolves were horrible, and the Sixers weren’t much better. Neither team deserved to win, but the Wolves got what they deserved. And somehow, that makes sense.

Star of the Game

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (18 points on 5 of 11 shooting, 7 of 8 free throws, 1 of 2 three-pointers, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, one assist, one turnover)

The former Wolves’ forward locked down Wiggins and was a legitimate offensive threat for the 76ers against his old team. If you’ve ever watched Mbah a Moute play before, that sentence was no doubt a shock. The normally-broken offensive game of Mbah a Moute was solid tonight, knocking down open shots and only forcing a couple attempts.

Mbah a Moute has been better offensively so far this season in Philadelphia than anyone could have expected, but it’s not like he suddenly has a post game or handles. He simply made open shots and was active and confident on the offensive end of the floor — the opposite of his tenure in Minnesota.

Tweet of the Night

Stat of the Night

TheWolves committed 21 turnovers. The offensively-challenged and painfully young Sixers committed 14 turnovers.

The Wolves’ two most-senior players that participated in Friday night’s game (Young and Martin) combined to commit nine turnovers on their own. Enough said.

Notable Lines:

  • Andrew Wiggins: 15 points (7-17 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-1 FT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, one steal, one turnover
  • Kevin Martin: 19 points (5-18 FG, 2-8 3PT, 7-8 FT), 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 turnovers
  • Thaddeus Young: 10 points (3-10 FG, 1-1 3PT, 3-4 FT), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, one steal, 5 turnovers
  • Nikola Pekovic: 18 points (6-9 FG, 6-7 FT), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, one steal, one block, one turnover

Who’s Got Next?

LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Mike Miller, and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be in Minneapolis on Saturday night. And even if the Wolves’ public relations and marketing folks won’t acknowledge it, the second-best player in Wolves history will be making his return in a Cavs’ uniform.

Kevin Love will be in town, and at the very least, it will be an interesting situation. The Wolves won’t win, but they’ll give it a go against the Cavs at Target Center.

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