Minnesota Timberwolves: Well-balanced effort vaults Wolves to win

The Minnesota Timberwolves won their second-straight game and sixth out of their last seven with a 121-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

In case you weren’t sure, the Minnesota Timberwolves are a completely different team than the one that started the season 4-9 and lost all five games on a West Coast road trip.

After not having overcome a double-digit deficit to come back and win a game through their first 23 contests, the Wolves have done it in two consecutive games, beating Houston on Monday and coming back from 15 points down to defeat Charlotte on Wednesday night.

The first quarter was evenly played with both teams getting off to a hot start from the field and defense largely appearing as optional. The opening frame was ultimately played to a 31-31 draw.

In the second quarter, the Hornets built a 15-point lead, first by outplaying the Wolves’ second unit and then continuing a run against the starters as they began to reenter the game.

But for the second consecutive game, it was a spark from Andrew Wiggins that got the Wolves going.

As part of a stretch of outstanding play from Wiggins in the second quarter, Wiggins threw down a nasty putback dunk on a miss from Karl-Anthony Towns, which you can see below. He hit a series of shots in the frame and came up with a couple of big defense plays and tough rebounds later in the game, too.

While Wiggins did score a season-high 26 points, it was his six rebounds and five assists that were even more impressive. For the second-straight game, his energy level was exactly where it needed to be.

For his part, Towns came out of the gate with a vengeance. He knocked down his first three 3-point attempts and largely had his way inside against the Hornets’ Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky.

The Wolves got back with two points at halftime and took a lead of as many as five points in the third quarter before Charlotte got back within a bucket at the start of the fourth.

The fourth quarter was back-and-forth throughout, and the Wolves trailed by a score of 96-93 with 8:12 showing on the clock. Then, Towns went on an 7-0 run all by himself, making a tough floater on the baseline, a 3-pointer at the top of the key in transition, and a bucket right at the rim.

The Wolves ultimately went on a 22-2 run and built an insurmountable lead of 115-98 with three minutes left in the game.

This was simply a case of the Wolves locking down their opponents on defense in the second half of a second game in a row, and a persistent and smooth offensive attack that eventually overwhelmed an inferior opponent.

Highlight of the Night

Player of the Game

Karl-Anthony Towns: 35 points (13-20 FG, 4-5 3P, 5-7 FT), 12 rebounds, 6 blocks, 3 assists, 2 steals

There’s an argument to made for Wiggins, because of his solid all-around game and the spark that he provided in the second quarter to fuel the comeback, but Towns also had a dominant game in every facet and was huge in the fourth quarter when the game was close.

Towns had four blocks by halftime and was extremely active around the rim on both ends of the floor. He scored in the post, he scored in face-up opportunities both driving to the rim and shooting mid-range jumpers, and he knocked down four of his five 3-point attempts.

If Towns keeps up his post-Jimmy Butler play, he’ll be an All-Star for a second consecutive season.

Notable Timberwolves Box Score Lines

• Andrew Wiggins 26 points (11-19 FG, 3-5 3P, 1-3 FT), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, one block
• Robert Covington: 17 points (6-9 FG, 1-3 3P, 4-4 FT), 6 rebounds, 2 steals, one assist, one block
• Jeff Teague: 3 points (1-6 FG, 0-1 3P, 1-1 FT), 18 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, one steal
• Taj Gibson: 11 points (4-5 FG, 2-3 3P, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist, one block
• Derrick Rose: 16 points (8-15 FG, 0-2 3P, 0-2 FT), 3 assists, one rebound
• Dario Saric: 8 points (3-8 FG, 2-3 3P), 7 rebounds, one assist

Wiggins had a great game, as mentioned above, and was huge in the second quarter as the Wolves began a comeback from a 15-point deficit.

Covington ended up with three early personal fouls and didn’t play all that much in the first half but was huge in the second on both ends of the floor. He’s showing much more aggression in putting the ball on the  floor and getting into the paint than he did in Philadelphia, and his 17 points on nine field goals was ultra-efficient.

Teague had a bad night shooting the ball once again but had the second-highest assist total in a single game in franchise history with 18.

Gibson, Rose, and Saric were all instrumental in the win and continued their respective steady play.

What’s Next?

After going 3-1 on the homestand, the Wolves will head back to the West Coast, beginning with Portland on Saturday night. The game tips off at 9 p.m. CT and will be televised on NBA TV.