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Timberwolves Wrap: Wolves complete season sweep over Pelicans

By Ben Beecken

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 3: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans on February 3, 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 - FEBRUARY 3: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans on February 3, 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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The Timberwolves completed the season sweep over the Pelicans, notching their eighth wire-to-wire win of the season in an easy victory on Saturday night.

The Timberwolves jumped out to a 22-6 lead in the opening half of the first quarter and never looked back, defeating the Pelicans for the fourth and final time this season.

New Orleans hung around enough to avoid being completely run out of the arena, showing signs of life late in the first quarter to only trail by eight heading to the second frame. But once Minnesota regained a double digit lead early in the quarter, the Wolves never led by less than 10 for the rest of the game.

Karl-Anthony Towns was a monster throughout, and Jimmy Butler scored when he needed to while largely playing facilitator and being in the right place at the right time.

Anthony Davis did Anthony Davis things, scoring 38 points on 30 shots a night after scoring 43 points on 34 shots in Oklahoma City. As yours truly noted in the game preview, the Wolves would have a chance to hold the Pelicans at arm’s length on Saturday if they let Davis get his but shut down his teammates. And that’s exactly what they did.

Davis was the only New Orleans starter that reached double figures, with E’Twaun Moore shooting the ball only four times in 12 minutes of play and Jrue Holiday shooting just 3-of-13 from the floor. Cheick Diello and new acquisition Nikola Mirotic both notched double-doubles off the bench, but that was the only help that A.D. had in this one.

While the outcome was never in doubt, it was another one of those games that the Wolves couldn’t quite put the hammer down early enough to get any meaningful rest for their starters. That said, it’s hard to complain about yet another wire-to-wire victory.

Tweets of the Night

Key Takeaways

  • This was one of the more complete games we’ve seen from the Timberwolves in a while. The defense wasn’t outstanding, but it was stifling early and only seemed lax once the Wolves pushed their lead north of 14 points or so. The offense was solid, albeit sloppy at times, but Towns and Butler were relentless while Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague, and Taj Gibson were all solid.
  • Tyus Jones and Nemanja Bjelica did a great job pacing the bench in what was largely an off-night for Jamal Crawford. Jones was aggressive in looking for his shot, and it paid off in a big way.
  • Standings watch: the Jazz won their fifth-straight game in defeating the Spurs, meaning that the Wolves are now just a half-game behind San Antonio for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. The Thunder and Blazers were idle, and are now two-and-a-half and three games behind Minnesota, respectively.

Player of the Game

Karl-Anthony Towns: 22 points (8-16 FG, 3-3 3P, 3-4 FT), 16 rebounds, one assist, one steal

Once again, Butler’s 30-8-7 night could have won this award, but it was Towns’ aggression on the boards (he grabbed six offensive rebounds) and his nose for loose balls that helped the Wolves maintain their double-digit lead throughout the night. KAT picked his spots offensively once again and was efficient, forcing Anthony Davis to work on both ends of the floor.

Notable Box Score Lines

  • Jimmy Butler: 30 points (11-21 FG, 2-4 3P, 6-9 FT), 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals
  • Tyus Jones: 16 points (6-9 FG, 1-2 3P, 2-2 FT), 2 steals, one assist, one rebound
  • Andrew Wiggins: 15 points (7-14 FG, 1-3 FG), 3 rebounds, one assist, one steal
  • Jeff Teague: 5 points (2-7 FG, 1-2 3P), 6 assists, 2 rebounds, one steal, one block
  • Taj Gibson: 12 points (6-9 FG), 9 rebounds, one assist, one block

Next: Timberwolves Power Rankings: A rough patch...

What’s Next?

The Timberwolves will enjoy a much-needed three day break before heading to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on ESPN Wednesday night. Then, it’s off to Chicago for Jimmy Butler’s return and Tom Thibodeau’s return (Part Two) on Friday.

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