Timberwolves Wrap: Playoffs hopes still alive with win over Grizzlies

The Timberwolves will have a chance to win and get in on Wednesday when they host Denver after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.

After losing to the Grizzlies exactly two weeks prior, the Timberwolves trailed for much of the first half to Memphis again on Monday before pulling away late and ultimately winning by a 19-point margin.

Also on Monday, the San Antonio Spurs came back to defeat the Kings, meaning that if the Nuggets lost to Portland, the Wolves would have clinched a playoff spot. Unfortunately, Denver came back to win, setting up what is effectively a one-game playoff at Target Center on Wednesday night.

Don’t forget, however, that a Wolves win on Wednesday could vault them into the seventh or even the sixth spot in the Western Conference, depending on what happens to the likes of the Pelicans and the Thunder over the next couple of days as well. But if New Orleans beats the Clippers on Monday and the Spurs on Wednesday, they’ll clinch a playoff spot of their own and stay ahead of the Wolves.

Back to Monday. The Timberwolves came out playing hard but missing easy shots around the rim, allowing the Grizzlies to hang around in a low-scoring first quarter and build a double-digit lead in the second frame.

But a hybrid unit led by Tyus Jones outscored the Grizzlies for an extended stretch and allowed the Wolves to take a three-point halftime lead despite Karl-Anthony Towns picking up his third personal foul early in the second quarter.

Other than a couple of small hiccups here and there, the Timberwolves played well down the stretch and pulled away late. Jimmy Butler continued to knock the rust off, scoring 15 points on just eight field goal attempts in only 23 minutes.

Notably, Taj Gibson left after just eight minutes due to neck soreness, which is apparently an injury he suffered on Friday against the Lakers.

Tweet of the Night

Player of the Game

Karl-Anthony Towns: 24 points (11-14 FG, 2-3 FT), 18 rebounds, 2 assists, one block

Towns was awesome, scoring all of his points in the paint and at the free throw line except for one wide-open, mid-range jumper.

Someday, we’ll look back at this version of Towns and marvel at how he only managed to shoot a few free throws per game. Officials are still missing a shocking amount of would-be foul calls when Towns is in the post and grabbing offensive boards, and when those turn into whistles, expect Towns’ numbers to skyrocket.

Notable Timberwolves Box Score Lines

• Jeff Teague: 24 points (9-19 FG, 1-4 3P, 5-5 FT), 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, one block, 5 turnovers
• Jimmy Butler: 15 points (3-8 FG, 0-1 3P, 9-11 FT), 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 rebounds
• Andrew Wiggins: 7 points (3-12 FG, 0-3 3P, 1-1 FT), 6 rebounds, 3 steals, one assist, one block
• Derrick Rose: 13 points (5-10 FG, 1-2 3P, 2-2 FT), 3 assists, one rebound, 22 minutes

Next: Looking at possible Wolves playoff opponents

What’s Next?

It all comes down to this. Wednesday night at Target Center will feature the Timberwolves and Nuggets facing off for what will amount to a one-game playoff. The winner is in, and will be seeded somewhere between No. 6 and No. 8, and the loser stays home. Again.