Timberwolves Wrap: Ugly win over the Knicks

The Timberwolves led big early but had to mount a second half comeback and hold on late against a vastly inferior New York Knicks squad on Friday night.

The Knicks have nothing to play for, and the Wolves would be forgiven for thinking that New York would have shut things down after trailing by as many as 14 points in the first half.

Instead, the Knicks battled back on their home court and went on a 15-0 run spanning the end of the second quarter and the opening minutes of the third. Minnesota trailed by seven points midway through the frame before the bench, led by Tyus Jones, began to take things over.

Jones was fantastic, providing a spark on defense and making the right plays on offense. Jamal Crawford got hot for a stretch in the third quarter as well, and Gorgui Dieng played some of his better minutes in recent memory.

By the time the starters began to return to the game, the Wolves were right back in things. They built a double-digit lead again in the fourth quarter and the Knicks didn’t get closer than four points the rest of the way.

Tweet of the Night

Key Takeaways

• Karl-Anthony Towns had a complete game, putting up 24 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. He scored in a variety of ways, showing his versatility while still playing solid defense on Enes Kanter, who finished with just 11 points on the night.
• Jeff Teague was awesome early, notching five assists only minutes into the game. But his second half was something close to a couple of his other epic meltdowns this season, making horrifying turnovers and exhibiting questionable shot selection. Jones’ third and fourth quarter minutes were much better, but Teague still received run when it was crunch time.
• Andrew Wiggins, as you saw above, achieved just his fifth career double-double and his first of the season. Yes, we’re in Game No. 73, if you’re scoring at home. But credit where credit is due: Wiggins was aggressive on the glass and played outstanding one-on-one defense at times in this one. Of course, we’ve seen these blips before. It’s time for Wiggins to stay in this zone down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.
• It only took Nemanja Bjelica eight field goal attempts to reach 17 points scored. Wiggins? He scored 17 points, too, but took 15 shots. Whih is better?
• Denver has already won and the Clippers have lost while Utah and San Antonio remain in a see-saw battle that directly affects Minnesota. If the Jazz win, then the Wolves, Spurs, and Jazz will be in a three-way tie for the No. 6 seed. If the Spurs win, then they’ll stay a game ahead of the Wolves but Minnesota would have a game’s worth of breathing room ahead of the No. 8 playoff spot.

Player of the Game

Karl-Anthony Towns: 23 points (9-14 FG, 2-3 3P, 4-5 FT), 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, one steal

Towns was great throughout and especially dominated early and late. He picked his spots to launch from behind the arc, per usual, and snatched big-time rebounds out of the air down the stretch.

While Tim Hardaway, Jr. had a career-high 37 points, there wasn’t much else to like about the Knicks’ performance.

Notable Timberwolves Box Score Stats

• Andrew Wiggins: 17 points (5-15 FG, 2-7 3P, 5-6 FT),11 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists
• Nemanja Bjelica: 17 points (6-8 FG, 3-5 3P, 8-8 FG), 2 assists, 2 steals, one block
• Taj Gibson: 18 points (5-8 FG, 0-1 3P, 8-8 FT), 6 rebounds, one assist, one steal

What’s Next?

The Timberwolves must turn around and head up to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers on Saturday night. Tip-off is at 5:00 p.m. CT.