Timberwolves Wrap: Late collapse leads to OT loss

The Timberwolves led by 13 points at halftime and eight points with just over two minutes to play on Friday night but ultimately lost in overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers used a 17-1 lead over the final minutes of regulation and overtime while the Timberwolves went more than six minutes without making a field goal as L.A. pulled away in the extra session to win with ease.

Los Angeles had lost six straight games and nine in a row at Staples Center, and the Wolves were hoping to try and salvage some of the good feelings that they’d built up earlier in the month of March. Alas, the late-game woes from back in the fall reared their ugly head once again.

The Wolves dominated the first half and played a decent third quarter to take an eight-point lead into the final frame. But then, Jordan Clarkson and Corey Brewer happened.

Clarkson drained three three-pointers in a row in ridiculous fashion. As the shot clock wound down, Clarkson drained two consecutive double-clutch, off-balance, contested threes. Then, Karl-Anthony Towns fouled Clarkson on what became a four-point play to draw the Lakers to within one point.

Little-used new Laker (and former two-time Timberwolves) Corey Brewer had a short run of his own, hitting a huge three-pointer and a couple of off-balance bank shots near the paint in typical Brew fashion, and it suddenly felt as if the Lakers could do no wrong.

The Wolves, on the other hand, led by eight points with just north of two minutes remaining but suddenly could not initiate their offense, and missed open shots the few times they were able to attempt them.

Wiggins knocked down one of two free throws with just under a minute left to tie the game, and Kris Dunn and the Wolves locked down Clarkson on the other end. As the final seconds of regulation ticked away, the Wolves had horrible spacing on a pick-and-roll and Ricky Rubio‘s contested pass to a covered Gorgui Dieng in the right corner resulted in a desperation heave that didn’t even draw iron.

Overtime was a debacle, beginning with Towns winning the tip-off but D’Angelo Russell stealing it in front of Tyus Jones and Rubio. The Wolves ultimately went more than six minutes between regulation and overtime before making a shot from the field, and at that point, it was all but over.

Of note: Tom Thibodeau experimented with a three-guard lineup in this one, with Rubio, Kris Dunn, and Tyus Jones all playing together. The Wolves went on a successful run in the first half with this lineup, but ultimately the lack of shooting outweighed the defensive benefits. Moving forward, however, this could be an effective lineup against certain opponents and for very short bursts.

Star of the Game

Jordan Clarkson: 35 points (13-20 FG, 8-10 3P, 1-1 3P), 4 assists, 2 rebounds, one turnover

Clarkson was unbelievable, and as lucky as a number of his makes were, they all counted the same and effectively buried the Timberwolves. Making 8-of-10 from beyond the arc and only committing one turnover in 47 minutes is an absurd night for anyone.

Notable Timberwolves Lines

• Andrew Wiggins: 36 points (14-28 FG, 5-7 3P, 3-5 FT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, one steal, one block, 2 turnovers
• Karl-Anthony Towns: 25 points (11-19 FG, 0-2 3P, 3-3 FT), 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, one steal, one turnover
• Ricky Rubio: 19 points (5-13 FG, 1-5 3P, 8-8 FT), 15 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, one block, 2 turnovers
• Kris Dunn: 11 points (5-12 FG, 1-5 3P), 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, 2 blocks

Wiggins was very good for much of the night, although he did foul out as the Lakers were beginning to pull away in overtime. Towns was solid as well, although he disappeared from the offense down the stretch — not entirely his fault, of course.

Rubio was outstanding until he was removed from the game for a rest at the start of the fourth quarter but struggled upon returning. The Wolves were horrible with him off the floor, of course, but the offense never recovered.

Dunn seemingly played a solid game overall, but he combined with Rubio to shoot just 2-for-10 from beyond the arc. The three-guard lineup was awesome for the first half stretch, but faltered in the second half and in overtime.

Next: Why Did The Timberwolves Sign Omri Casspi?

Who’s Up Next?

The Timberwolves will head up the coast to Portland for a Saturday night showdown with one of the teams that they are technically still competing with for the eight and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.