The Timberwolves have built another short losing streak after hanging on to a slim lead in the final moments of the game to defeat the Denver Nuggets.
The Timberwolves played one of their more complete games of the season on Sunday night. Or, so it seemed.
Maybe it was just because they never held a sizable lead that they then gave back. Likewise, they never trailed by more than nine points at any moment during the contest.
But regardless, the Wolves and Nuggets offered a glimpse at what could potentially be an exceedingly fun division rivalry. If Russell Westbrook leaves Oklahoma City in free agency and Portland continues to stagnate, well, Denver-Minnesota could be a lot of fun for years to come as they compete with the Utah Jazz for division supremacy.
Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns went back-and-forth for much of the evening, although Towns gained the clear upper hand down the stretch, blocking a Jokic shot attempt more than once and scoring nearly at will on the offensive end of the floor.
Andrew Wiggins once again played the sidekick role as Zach LaVine struggled — par for the course over the past few games. And with Ricky Rubio missing the game due to the death of his grandmother, both Kris Dunn and Tyus Jones played well, even sharing the floor down the stretch due to LaVine’s poor play.
Dunn, in particular, was great. He nearly notched a triple-double, managing 10 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds with only a single turnover — amazing, considering his season-long struggles.
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Half of the Nuggets’ supporting cast was nonexistent, with Kenneth Faried being held scoreless in just 14 minutes and Danilo Gallinari shooting just 4-of-10 from the field. The other half was lethal, with Gary Harris knocking down 9-of-13 shots for 22 points, and Wilson Chandler and rookie Jamal Murray each tallying 17 points off the bench.
For the Wolves, Gorgui Dieng played limited minutes due to foul trouble and the small lineup that the Nuggets rolled with. In his place, Shabazz Muhammad managed 20 points off the bench while Kris Dunn (10 points) was the only other Wolves player to reach double-digits this side of Towns, Wiggins, and Bazz.
The Wolves trailed by a score of 100-91 with just 6:05 remaining, but the Wolves pulled with three points over the next two minutes. Then, they took the lead on a fastbreak layup by Muhammad at the 3:00 mark.
After a bit of a back-and-forth including a huge three-pointer from Wiggins, Towns hit a jumper to break a tie with 42 seconds left. After a stop on the other end of the floor, Tyus Jones hit one of two free throws. Jameer Nelson hit an easy layup, and then Andrew Wiggins made only one of two free throws.
Still a two-point game, Nelson missed a jumper and Dunn grabbed the rebound. Then, Dunn made only one of two from the line, but after a Denver timeout, Nelson couldn’t get a shot off after the Nuggets inbounded the ball with 1.3 seconds on the clock.
Tweet of the Night
.@Timberwolves star @KarlTowns: "This is our kingdom. No one can come in here and expect to win." pic.twitter.com/KTnKcf3bBL
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) January 23, 2017
Star of the Night
Karl-Anthony Towns: 32 points (13-19 FG, 6-8 FT), 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 blocks, one steal, 6 turnovers
Towns was fantastic once again. He scored in a variety of ways, although the mid-range jumper was the weapon of choice for much of the evening.
He dished out three assists in the opening five minutes or so of the game, and remained willing to pass out of double-teams throughout the game. He also dominated in the glass defensively, staying active and swatting away four shot attempts.
Towns did turn the ball over an uncharacteristic six times and didn’t attempt a single three-point shot, but his offensive efficiency was outstanding enough to offset the sloppy miscues.
Notable Timberwolves Lines
- Andrew Wiggins: 24 points (10-19 FG, 1-3 3P, 3-4 FT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, one steal, one block, 3 turnovers
- Shabazz Muhammad: 20 points (9-14 FG, 2-5 3P), 5 rebounds, one assist, one steal, 2 turnovers
- Kris Dunn: 10 points (3-8 FG, 2-2 3P, 2-4 FT), 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, one block, one turnover
Next: Wolves Rumors: On Possibility of Rubio-For-Jackson
Who’s Up Next?
The Timberwolves are headed to Phoenix after a brief, one-game homestand. They’ll take on the Suns at 8:00 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday evening as they look for three straight wins for the second time this season.