Winners and losers from Timberwolves’ massive win over Cavs

Winners: The Timberwolves’ big men

Minnesota’s Sunday night performance was highlighted by stellar nights from both of the Timberwolves’ starting big men. Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert each registered double-doubles, their first time doing so as teammates since joining forces.

As a team, the Timberwolves outrebounded the Cavs 47-40. The Wolves held a 36-24 edge in the defensive rebounding category, due in large part to 13 rebounds apiece from Towns and Gobert. While Cleveland was missing their starting center Jarrett Allen, credit must be given to the Timberwolves for making the most of their circumstances.

Gobert scored 15 points to go with two blocks and a steal as well. His steady production has been one of the more constant factors early in this chaotic Timberwolves season.

For Karl-Anthony Towns, it was yet another game where he looked like the best player on the floor for Minnesota. He scored an efficient 29 points on 68% shooting while knocking down half of his three-point attempts. Towns was third-best on the team with a +15 point differential.

It’s games like these where the Timberwolves’ vision for this star duo starts to become clearer. When Towns and Gobert are both thriving in their roles, there’s not many frontcourts in the NBA that can slow them down. If outings like this become more frequent, Minnesota will begin to look more like what we all envisioned in the offseason.