Minnesota Timberwolves fall in Summer League championship

The Minnesota Timberwolves lost the Las Vegas Summer League championship game to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, ending an impressive run.

The Minnesota Timberwolves entry to the Las Vegas Summer League was undefeated all the way until the championship game.

And then, without Josh Okogie in the lineup, they lost by three to Summer League MVP Brandon Clarke and the Memphis Grizzlies.

After injuring his ankle/shin in the semifinal win on Sunday, Okogie sat out. That meant that Jared Terrell, who was on a two-way contract with the Wolves last year, started in the backcourt alongside Jordan McLaughlin and Canyon Barry received significant playing time off the bench.

The Wolves were down by 12 points at the end of the first quarter and 16 at halftime, but had a huge third quarter and ended up being right in the game down the stretch. They even had a chance to tie in the final seconds, but ultimately fell short by three points.

For the second consecutive game, Kelan Martin came off the bench and was the best player on the court for the Timberwolves. This time, he ended up with 19 points (6-14 FG, 3-7 3P, 4-4 FT), five rebounds, and an assist in 24 minutes.

Undrafted rookie and new two-way contract signee Naz Reid, who was impressive for much of Summer League play, struggled from the field to the tune of 3-for-13, including missing all four of his 3-point attempts, and finished with just eight points and 10 rebounds.

Clarke, who was a popular mock draft target for the Wolves in June’s draft, was taken No. 21 by Memphis. Prior to Monday’s championship game, Clarke was named the league’s Most Valuable Player after averaging 14.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Against the Wolves, Clarke put up 15 points and 16 rebounds.

Also starring for Memphis was second-year player and former Duke Blue Devil Grayson Allen, who had 17 points and five rebounds.

Barry Brown Jr., Jordan Murphy, and Mitch Creek all reached double-figures in scoring once again for the Wolves, while Keita Bates-Diop had another shaky game and Jordan McLaughlin struggled mightily, making only two of his 11 field goal attempts in his final audition for a training camp invitation.

Soon, we’ll be taking a spin through the highs and lows of Las Vegas Summer League and what each player on the team showed throughout the week.

Are there players who could get a shot in the fall, or perhaps even fill the Wolves’ second two-way contract slot? Stay tuned.