Timberwolves Wrap: Late-game heroics down Raptors

The Timberwolves trailed for nearly the entire game but used a Tyus Jones three-pointer with less than 20 seconds remaining to escape with a win over the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors led the Timberwolves for all but 94 seconds over the course of Wednesday night’s game at Target Center, but it was the home team that led as the final buzzer sounded.

Toronto dominated proceedings early, leading by eight points at the end of the first quarter and 10 at halftime. The Wolves simply could not check All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry, and the Raptors pick-and-roll game was on point throughout the first half as the visitors scored at will.

Newcomer Lance Stephenson knocked down his first two shot attempts with the Timberwolves and three of his first four, scoring six first half points on three mid-range makes. He exclusively played alongside Tyus Jones in the back court after Ricky Rubio committed two early fouls and hit the bench earlier than usual.

After a strong stint from the bench unit, the starters struggled some more as the game neared halftime. But in the third quarter, the Wolves finally provided some resistance.

Minnesota was finally able to force Lowry into some tougher three-point attempt, and continued to make it difficult for DeMar DeRozan to operate. By the end of the third, the Raptors led by just five points.

The fourth quarter featured the Wolves treading water for much of the frame before pulling to within two possessions and hanging in that territory for much of the rest of the way. There were a few possessions that were kicked away, from Karl-Anthony Towns throwing a sloppy pass after grabbing a tough defensive rebound and an inability by many of the Wolves to box out at times. But ultimately, Minnesota was able to hang close.

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The Timberwolves crunch time lineup featured Jones, Stephenson, Andrew Wiggins, Shabazz Muhammad, and Towns. It was clear that Tom Thibodeau did not want to play two below-average three-point shooters next to each other in the back court in Stephenson and Rubio, although the run that Lowry and DeRozan went on with the diminutive Jones always guarding one of the two of them made it tough to see Rubio still riding the pine.

But the Wolves’ defensive scheme held tight while Muhammad made 2-of-4 free throw attempts after being fouled on consecutive possessions, and the Raptors answered and tied the game on a tough DeRozan layup with 29 seconds left.

After a Minnesota timeout, Wiggins predictably received the ball at the top of the key and, just as predictably, drove to his right. The Raptors trapped him on the baseline and the Wolves’ star made the correct play, dishing to the opposite wing and an open Tyus Jones. The second-year point guard canned the open jumper, giving the Wolves a three-point lead with just over 19 seconds remaining.

On the other end, the Raptors scored on a dunk from Jonas Valanciunas to draw within a single point. Wiggins made a pair of free throws after being fouled, and a combination of he and Stephenson forced the Raptors into a tough dribble-hand-off with Lowry launching a contested corner three that clanked harmlessly off the rim as time expired.

It was an impressive comeback by a team that looked discombobulated for much of the evening. The defensive issues continue to be very real, although the Raptors are a team that executes with consistency and were forced into tough shots for much of the second half.

Stephenson was outstanding, considering he’d just been signed that morning. Adding a big, physical wing could end up being a boon for Thibodeau’s sagging defensive unit.

Clip of the Night

Star of the Night

Karl-Anthony Towns: 29 points (8-14 FG, 0-2 3P, 13-13 FT), 14 rebounds, 2 blocks, one assist, one steal, one turnover

Towns was solid all night long. He could have easily attempted more than 13 free throws as the Raptors were all over him in the paint, but he powered through contact more often than not and did exactly what the Timberwolves needed him to do against a relatively small opposing front court unit.

Notable Timberwolves Lines

• Andrew Wiggins: 31 points (11-19 FG, 1-2 3P, 8-9 FT), 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, one block, 3 turnovers
• Shabazz Muhammad: 22 points (8-13 FG, 2-5 3P, 4-6 FT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists
• Gorgui Dieng: 11 points (4-8 FG, 1-1 3P, 2-2 FT), 9 rebounds, one assist, one steal

Wiggins was efficient, and despite a typically quiet first half in all of the non-scoring columns, was clutch down the stretch both on the glass and as a distributor.

Muhammad did his sixth-man thing once again, knocking in 22 points on 13 shots. Outside of a couple of missed free throws down the stretch, he was fantastic. Dieng was solid and ended up as the third-highest scorer on the Wolves roster in this one.

Who’s Up Next?

The Timberwolves are now 1-2 on the homestand and will host the New Orleans Pelicans at 7:00 p.m. Central Time on Friday night. The Pelicans were blown out by Utah on Wednesday night and now have an identical record as Minnesota at 20-33.