Dunking With Wolves
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Wolves Power Rankings: Stars shine through hard schedule

By Jake Paynting

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 8: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 8, 2018 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 8: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 8, 2018 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JANUARY 8: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 8, 2018 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JANUARY 8: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 8, 2018 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /

As the new year continues, the Minnesota Timberwolves power rankings do too. Join us as we dig into every performer throughout an up and down seven days of Wolves ball.

It has been a fruitful December and early January for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who pushed through the halfway mark of the season on pace for an impressive 50 wins.

This week, however, the schedule began to tighten for Minnesota, as they began a streak of tough games.

They handled themselves fairly respectably throughout the four games in this power rankings week, splitting the games and finishing 2-2 over the stretch, the Wolves now sit 10 games over 500. with 26 wins and 16 losses.

The highlight of the week is Tyus Jones teaching Lebron James some respect after the king accidentally referred to him as ‘Tyler Jones’ pre-game:

The week started with two back-to-back losses in quite different circumstances.

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Opening the week with a 98-97 loss to Brooklyn wasn’t ideal, as Nets rising star Spencer Dinwiddie hit a late game floating jumper to seal the Timberwolves fate. They stayed on the road with a team of surely-tired players, but fought hard against a Boston Celtics team that showed the full display of its defensive arsenal. Losing in the end in scrappy 91-84 showing.

It was the second half of the power rankings week that the fun was unleashed for Wolves fans, as the team exploded into two exciting blowout victories.

Starting on the second game of a back-to-back against New Orleans, as they held the Pelicans to just 42.2 percent shooting in a 116-96 victory. The week was truly capped off in a special way when the Timberwolves hammered the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-99 in front of a rampant Target Center crowd.

The Wolves held LeBron James to just 10 points while shooting 52 percent themselves with six players in the double-figure scoring column.

A crazy week in Wolves world, let’s dig in to the best performers.

*All players must play 10 total minutes to qualify. Weekly and season stats courtesy of NBA stats*

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