Dunking With Wolves
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Timberwolves Wrap: Wolves prevail over Clippers

By Andrew Neururer

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 3: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tyus Jones #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Gorgui Dieng #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrate on the court against the LA Clippers on December 3, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 3: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tyus Jones #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Gorgui Dieng #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrate on the court against the LA Clippers on December 3, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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106. 77. 112. 86. Final

Coming off a bad loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Minnesota Timberwolves were able to revive themselves Sunday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Friday’s loss to the Thunder was a bit of a disappointment, and basically made Sunday night against the Los Angeles Clippers a must win. After losing Blake Griffin, and Patrick Beverly due to injury, L.A. was short handed and on a recent skid.

It was a tight matchup for much of the game, with the Wolves holding a number of multi-possession leads but never quite double-digits, but Minnesota was able to come away with a win.

Ultimately, it should not of been this close of a game because of the depleted roster. The Clippers went 4-10 in the month of November and started off the month of December with a 26-point loss to the struggling Mavericks.

The Timberwolves relied on a huge fourth quarter from Jimmy Butler to maintain a slim lead while essentially trading buckets down the stretch. The defense left a lot to be desired, including a series of possessions that Karl-Anthony Towns and his teammates left DeAndre Jordan virtually unattended underneath the rim.

Butler’s heroics and just enough defense and rebounding when it mattered most was enough on this night, however, and the Wolves came away with the win.

Tweets of the Night

Key Takeaways

  • Minnesota gave up the long ball early on — especially to a red-hot Austin Rivers — and it mostly continued throughout the game. They shot 15-of-34 from beyond the arc on the night. The Wolves, on the other hand, shot just 8-of-26 from 3-point range.
  • Taking care of the ball was key; Minnesota only turned it over seven times.
  • Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and Karl-Anthony Towns played well offensively.
  • Andrew Wiggins and Jeff Teague…not so much, although Wiggins had a key, shot-clock-buzzer-beating make late in the game.

Player of the Game

Jimmy Butler: 33 points (10-20 FG, 2-4 3P, 11-13 FT) 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Butler was clutch in this one. He was on fire from anywhere on the floor, shooting at a 50 percent clip from the field and scoring a season-high 33 points. Not only was his offense on-point tonight, but of course he brought his defense along with it.

This was his first time scoring over 30 points in a Wolves uniform, and exactly what fans expected to see from the three-time All-Star.

Notable Box Score Lines

  • Teague: 9 points (3-10 FG, 1-3 3P),10 assists, 3 steals
  • Towns: 15 points (6-13 FG, 2-3 3P), 12 rebounds, one assist, one steal
  • Wiggins: 12 points (4-15 FG, 0-5 3P), 2 rebounds, one assist, one steal
  • Gibson: 20 points (6-9 FG, 8-8 FT), 11 rebounds

What’s up next?

The Wolves will look to keep things going against the struggling Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night in Tennessee. This too is a winnable game, as Memphis has had a drama-filled past few weeks: they lost Mike Conley, and recently fired head coach David Fizdale.

Next: Evaluating Andrew Wiggins at the season's quarter pole

Overall, Memphis is on an 11-game losing streak. The Wolves will have to be careful not to have a letdown, but they should be able to take care of business.

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