The Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a double-digit halftime deficit to earn a road win with relative ease over the Atlanta Hawks.
After playing extremely shorthanded in Saturday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Minnesota Timberwolves got a couple of their rotation players back, and while it took more than three quarters to put it all together, they eventually emerged with a much-needed win.
Robert Covington (personal reasons) and Josh Okogie (knee soreness) each missed Saturday’s game but were available against the Hawks.
Covington started and was a huge part of the Wolves’ defensive plan but didn’t contribute much on offense. Okogie played a bit less than what we’re used to seeing, but was also important when it came to slowing down the likes of Trae Young, De’Andre Hunter, and Cam Reddish.
The Wolves made 10 of their first 11 shots from the field and built a 38-30 lead after the first quarter, but the second quarter got away from them quickly. The Hawks took advantage of a series of questionable officiating decisions and some sloppy transition defense from the Wolves to build a 10-point lead of their own at halftime.
But the second half belonged to the Wolves. Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 15 points and eight rebounds in the third quarter alone, and Minnesota won the third frame by a 39-26 margin. They still needed a fourth-quarter push to put the Hawks away, but a strong stint from Gorgui Dieng allowed the Wolves to get Towns some additional rest and still bring him back for the latter stages of the quarter.
While it would have been nice to not have to come from behind in this one, it was a solid all-around win for the Wolves as they inch back over the .500 mark.
Player Grades
Other Players
Gorgui Dieng was awesome, contributing 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and knocking down both of his 3-point attempts. He was huge in the second half, helping the Wolves to keep building their lead with Towns on the bench.
Kelan Martin only played seven minutes but was much better than he was against the Suns. Provided he can shoot 3-pointers at a slightly better clip than he has overall in his short stint as an NBA player, he could be a valuable 7 to 10 minute player for this squad.
Jordan Bell had a first-half stint at power forward that lasted just four minutes, but he was active and a positive contributor.
What’s Next?
The Wolves head to San Antonio on Wednesday for the second matchup against the Spurs so far this season.