Minnesota Timberwolves swept in season series vs. Grizzlies

The Minnesota Timberwolves lost to the Memphis Grizzlies once again, and once again Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant absolutely went off against the Wolves.

The third time was absolutely not the charm for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Believe it or not, the Wolves and the Memphis Grizzlies are done with each other for the season. And not only that, but the Grizzlies won all three games.

If you watched the first two games between the Wolves and Grizz, you may have guessed that Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant would each play a huge part in this game. And if you did, you would have guessed correctly.

Once again, the Grizzlies won with a late second-half push. And once again, Brooks and Morant were at the center of it. This was to the tune of 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting from Brooks and included a barrage of points in both the first and fourth quarters from the dynamic guard, plus 25 points and seven assists and a massive bucket in the final minute from Morant.

The Wolves were led by Jarrett Culver‘s career-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting and three made 3-pointers.

Minnesota led through the first quarter and built a double-digit lead in the second quarter, mostly after Brooks headed to the bench with three fouls. The Wolves took advantage as the Grizzlies’ offense stalled out.

The Wolves took a five-point lead into halftime after a late run from Memphis, and Minnesota’s issues continued in the third quarter. The offense stagnated and devolved into a steady stream of contested 3-point attempts. Not enough of them fell, and the Wolves gave up their lead.

In the fourth quarter, Memphis took a brief two-point lead but Minnesota pushed back, pulling back in front by as many as nine. But then Brooks and Jaren Jackson, Jr. took over. Jackson scored 11 points in the final frame and the Wolves continually lost him in the shuffle and gave up open jumpers.

The Wolves pulled within a single point with just over a minute to play on an old-fashioned 3-point play from Robert Covington, but a tough floater from rookie point guard Ja Morant gave the Grizzlies a 3-point lead. Then a missed 3-point attempt from Culver and one final make from Jackson and the game was all but over.

Star of the Game

Ja Morant: 25 points (12-16 FG, 0-1 3P, 1-2 FT), 7 assists, 4 rebounds, one steal;

Brooks was once again the streaky shooter who caught fire, but Morant was efficient and effective all night long, taking advantage of some shaky perimeter defense from the Wolves. He did his damage in the paint, and the Wolves simply didn’t have an answer.

Up Next

The Wolves head back home after splitting their two-game road trip. They’ll take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday at 7 p.m.