Timberwolves Wrap: Wolves pull away from Bulls late

The Timberwolves won in their first game since Jimmy Butler‘s meniscus tear, pulling away from a pesky Bulls team in the fourth quarter.

Some things just can’t be explained.

It was only 15 days ago that the Timberwolves lost to the Bulls in Chicago with Jimmy Butler in the lineup. On Saturday night, the Wolves suited up just 24 hours after losing their All-Star wing for at least a few weeks and defeated those same Bulls.

The Timberwolves played a solid first quarter behind strong starts from Jeff Teague and Andrew Wiggins. After taking a 31-24 lead into the second frame, the defense fell apart, leading to an impressive run from the young Bulls.

The Wolves’ Butler-less rotation only included eight players and featured some lineup combinations that are surely not as comfortable playing together as a unit. That was partly to blame, but as the starters began to reenter the game, not a whole lot changed. The half ended with the Wolves allowing a flurry of points in the open floor. That meant that Chicago was able to take a 62-60 lead into halftime.

The first half was a slog for Karl-Anthony Towns, who missed four 3-point attempts and only had four points by the break. He committed a couple of sloppy turnovers early as well, and was the only starter that didn’t come to the party.

The third quarter was better across the board, however. The Wolves at least played harder on defense, and the offense continued to click.

Towns played much better all-around in the second half, and after Minnesota took a four-point lead into the final frame, Teague and Jamal Crawford took over. Crawford knocked down a season-high five 3-pointers, and the Wolves forced Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg to take a series of timeouts early in the fourth.

The Wolves had a 14-point lead with nine minutes remaining, and pushed it to 21 with just under six minutes remaining in the game. Tom Thibodeau still chose to leave his starters on the floor until there were about 75 seconds remaining in the game with the Wolves up by 20, but at least they didn’t need to exert themselves down to the wire in this one.

Tweets of the Night

That Towns block was the catalyst to turning his night around. At the time, he had eight points and four rebounds. He finished with 22 points and 13 boards.

Key Takeaways

• Outside of the second quarter and a stretch in the third, the Wolves defense was actually fairly solid in this one. Nemanja Bjelica started the game playing solid help defense but as he tailed off in the second half (Bjelly struggled overall in this one), Karl-Anthony Towns woke up and Taj Gibson was his typically solid self in the frontcourt.
• This was one of the best games of the season for Jeff Teague. He was ultra-aggressive early and played solid defense on Kris Dunn and Cameron Payne.
• Gibson shutdown Rookie of the Year candidate Lauri Markannen. While Markannen did an okay job guarding KAT, he shot just 1-for-8 on offense, largely while guarded by Gibson. He managed just three points and seven rebounds.
• Jamal Crawford was awful defensively throughout the second quarter but was huge when it came to pulling away in the fourth. He’s one of the few players on the Wolves that they can count on to knock down a wide-open 3-pointer more often than not.
• The Timberwolves moved a half-game ahead of the idle Spurs to take sole possession of the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference. Of course, they remain only 3.5 games ahead of No. 9 Los Angeles. The West is a precarious place.

Player of the Game

Jeff Teague: 25 points (8-17 FG, 3-8 3P, 6-7 FT), 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, one block

As mentioned, Teague was awesome early in this game and solid throughout. Along with Wiggins, the backcourt duo kept the Wolves afloat as they worked through their defensive issues. Plus, someone needed to be assertive with Towns struggling mightily. Teague did just that, driving to the basket when he had the opportunity and hitting open threes when the defense left him alone.

Notable Box Score Lines

• Andrew Wiggins: 23 points (10-18 FG, 2-6 3P, 1-2 FT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, one steal, one block
• Karl-Anthony Towns: 22 points (9-20 FG, 0-5 3P, 4-6 FT), 13 rebounds, 2 assists, one block
• Taj Gibson: 19 points (7-11 FG, 5-7 FT), 10 rebounds, 3 assists, one steal
• Jamal Crawford: 19 points (6-11 FG, 5-8 3P, 2-2 FT), 3 assists, one rebound

Next: Jimmy Butler hopes to return in time for the playoffs

What’s Next?

The Timberwolves will play their third post-All-Star-break game in their third city as they head west to take on the Kings in Sacramento on Monday night. The game tips off at 9 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on NBATV.