Summer League: Bobcats 81, Wolves 78

Posted Wednesday July 18, 2012 12:44AM

The Charlotte Bobcats held on to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 81-78 in the nightcap at the Thomas and Mack Center at the 2012 NBA Summer League on the campus of the University of Nevada - Las Vegas.

Minnesota cut the Wolves' lead to one, 76-77, with 39 seconds to play on a Wes Johnson jumper but were unable to close the gap, fouling Charlotte's Kemba Walker who nailed two free throws with 20.7 seconds to play. Johnson had a second chance for last-second heroics, missing a long-range jumper with 1.7 seconds to play. After a quick foul and two Othello Hunter makes from the line and a throw-away lay-up on the other end by Minnesota's Derrick Williams, the last game of the fifth day of 2012 NBA Summer League action was in the books.

The Bobcats trailed by five points early in the game but Mullens put Charlotte on his back, hitting a jumper with 4:26 on the clock in the first quarter to steal the lead -- an advantage the team would hold until the third quarter. He eventually chipped in with 13 points to lead all scorers in the first. At the end of one, Charlotte led 18-15.

Charlotte mounted a 10-point lead, 33-23 with 5:49 to play in the second quarter before Minnesota fought back to tie the game at 33 on a Paulo Prestes layup with 2:06 to play in the first half. The Bobcats regained their composure, though, and never relinquished the lead. Mullens' hot hand continued to guide the Bobcats -- he finished with 22 first-half points on eight-of-13 from the floor and two-of-two from behind the arc.

Minnesota took back the lead, 39-37 at the eight-minute mark in the third on a Williams' jump shot, but it was a short-lived advantage. Charlotte went on to stretch their third-period lead to as many as eight points. When all was said and done, the teams each scored 18 points in the third quarter, with Charlotte holding on to a four-point lead, 55-51, at the end of three. Mullens scored nine in the period.

Mullens finished the contest with a game-high 33 points, just two shy of the 2012 NBA Summer League single-game scoring record of 35. Johnson scored 24 in the losing effort for Minnesota.

The Bobcats return to NBA Summer League action after a two-day hiatus to face the Denver Nuggets at 7:30 p.m. PT on Thursday, July 19 while the Timberwolves take on at 5:00 p.m. PT that afternoon.

• Timberwolves: --
• Bobcats: --

• Timberwolves: --
• Bobcats: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
• Officials: #57 Don Hudson, #65 Greg Williams, #55 Rob Rorke
• Attendance: -
• Duration: 1:58