Timberwolves Wrap: A tough road win over the Heat

The Timberwolves have found an easy path to the playoffs, apparently: simply keep Ricky Rubio on the floor for most of the season.

Rubio returned from the strained hamstring that caused him to miss the past four games, of which the Wolves lost all four, and Minnesota improved to 5-2 when the Spaniard is in the lineup.

The Timberwolves overcame what was once a 10-point deficit that was seven points at the start of the fourth quarter by outscoring the Heat by a 41-22 margin in the final frame. While the 41 points was inflated a bit by a foul game that lasted a bit too long from Miami, the young Wolves were simply the aggressors down the stretch and were rewarded with a tough road victory.

Hassan Whiteside was an absolute monster for the home team, finishing with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots but shot just 2 of 9 from the free throw line and was the focal point of the lead that the Timberwolves built beginning midway through the fourth quarter.

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After Sam Mitchell elected to begin fouling Whiteside intentionally on what amounted to alternating possessions, the Wolves surged ahead on the strength of Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, with some assistance from a Rubio-Zach LaVine back court.

One other Mitchell note: outstanding job limiting minutes on the front end of a back-to-back. Wiggins led the team with just under 33 minutes, and Rubio and Towns each only played 26 minutes (the latter was limited by foul trouble early).

It was an impressive win, and the third road win against a likely top-four or five already this season. The Timberwolves’ record now sits at 5-6 including 5-1 on the road, although that mark will be put to the test on the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday in Orlando.

Tweet of the Night

Star of the Night

Shabazz Muhammad: 16 points (6-8 FG, 2-3 3P, 2-2 FT), 2 assists

Andrew Wiggins did a fantastic job closing the game, but shot just 8 of 21 on the night. Muahmmad, on the other hand, kept the Wolves afloat when it appeared as though all might come crashing down in the first half, as well as a strong period of time in the fourth quarter.

He was extremely efficient and active, and it was practically impressive that he avoided grabbing a rebound in 20 minutes of play. Muhammad’s three-point stroke will come around over the next few games, and he’ll need to be okay with standing on the perimeter and waiting his turn to shoot/attack since he plays so many minutes alongside LaVine and Kevin Martin.

Other Notable Lines

• Andrew Wiggins – 24 points (8-21 FG, 0-1 3P, 8-11 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 steals, one assist, one steal, one turnover
• Karl-Anthony Towns – 14 points (6-12 FG, 2-2 FT), 14 rebounds, 2 steals, one block, 4 turnovers
• Zach LaVine – 17 points (5-12 FG, 2-5 3P, 5-6 FT), 3 assists, 4 rebounds, one steal, zero turnovers

Next: What Does Sam Mitchell's Toronto Tenure Tell Us?

Up Next

The Timberwolves will hop on a flight and head northwest to Orlando to take on the young Magic, who did not play on Tuesday and will be fresh.

It’s hard to say whether or not the Wolves will allow Rubio to play after missing a week’s worth of games, although he was only on the court for 26 minutes in Miami. Either way, the Timberwolves will have a shot to defeat a 5-6 Magic squad and improve their own road record to an insane 6-1.