Timberwolves Wrap: Big win in home opener

After starting the season with an 0-2 record on the road, the Timberwolves started the home portion of the schedule with a huge victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Wolves’ struggles of the first two games were discussed ad nauseum over the last few days, and once again, Minnesota built a lead that hit 17 points in the second quarter. But this time, it just kept growing and growing until it reached a 40-point margin.

The third quarter was not, for the first time in three tries, the Wolves’ bugaboo. After winning the first quarter by a 29-16 tally and the second frame by a 33-20 score, they managed to widen the margin even more in the third, leading by a whopping 38 points heading to the fourth.

The Grizzlies chose to sit both Mike Conley and Marc Gasol for “maintenance”, as it was termed by head coach David Fizdale. Chandler Parsons is still out, too. Although Tony Allen played for the first time this season, it was far from a full-strength Memphis squad.

That said, the Wolves weren’t complaining. They got out and ran early, and the young Grizzlies, helmed by rookie point guard Wade Baldwin IV, made things easier by turning the ball over consistently. Ultimately, both teams turned the ball over 20 times, but Memphis’ miscues seemed to come fast and furious near the start of the night, allowing the Wolves to build an early lead.

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LaVine was on fire from everywhere, eventually finishing with five three-point makes in nine tries on the evening. Andrew Wiggins‘ 17 points were quiet but efficient, and Kris Dunn played well in his first career start, scoring 10 points with six assists, five steals, and three rebounds.

Karl-Anthony Towns again didn’t quite seem like himself on offense, although he seemed more comfortable on defense and on the boards than he did the first two times out this year. He notched his first double-double of the season, but still shot just 4-of-10 from the floor.

The Grizzlies consistently double-teamed him and forced the ball out of his hands, and Towns did manage to tally four assists in just 30 minutes.

The bench unit clicked with Tyus Jones running the show, as both Brandon Rush and Nemanja Bjelica did damage from the outside.

All things considered, it was an impressive performance from the Wolves. There’s a real opportunity to build on this, too, with another winnable home game on Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets before heading to Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Tweet of the Night

Star of the Night

Zach LaVine: 31 points (11-18 FG, 5-9 3P, 4-4 FT), 4 rebounds, two assists, three turnovers, 28 minutes

LaVine tweaked his ankle early when he threw down an alley-oop dunk delivered from Towns, but returned shortly thereafter and remained hot from the field.

He was impressive draining long threes off of pin-downs called for him by Tom Thibodeau and creating his own shot when needed. This night was vintage Zach LaVine, and it’s exactly what Flip Saunders envisioned from the 21 year-old when he selected him in the first round two-plus years ago.

Stat of the Night

The Timberwolves knocked down 12-of-20 three-pointers on the night, including the five from LaVine and a pair each from Wiggins, Dunn, and Rush.

Welcome to a new age, Wolves fans.

(Side note: Wiggins had zero assists through the first two games of the season but dished out four in just 29 minutes on Tuesday night. A great sign — now, for some consistency…)

Notable Timberwolves Lines

• Karl-Anthony Towns: 11 points (4-10 FG, 3-4 FT), 10 rebounds, 4 assists, one steal, one block
• Andrew Wiggins: 17 points (6-11 FG, 2-2 3P, 3-5 FT), 4 assists, 3 rebounds
• Kris Dunn: 10 points (3-6 FG, 2-3 3P, 2-2 FT), 6 assists, 5 steals, 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers
• Gorgui Dieng: 17 points (8-9 FG, 1-2 FT), 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 2 assists

Who’s Next?

The Wolves will host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night at Target Center. The Nuggets have an identical 1-2 record after two two-point losses and a close win on opening night in New Orleans.

Next: Timberwolves Player Preview: Ricky Rubio

Once again, it’s another team that Minnesota will likely be battling with for one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference, so it’s yet another important game early in the season.