The Wolves outscored the Lakers 68-52 in the second half on Christmas Day at Staples Center to come away with a 121-104 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
It was Minnesota’s first-ever win on Christmas Day and marked the team’s fourth-consecutive win – two coming on the road.
It was a pretty balanced attack for the Wolves. Jimmy Butler led the way with 23 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals. Taj Gibson also finished with 23 points while hauling in nine rebounds. Karl-Anthony Towns had a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double to go with four blocks. Jamal Crawford led the second unit with 19 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field, 3-for-5 from the 3-point line and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Andrew Wiggins rounded things out with 16 points and five assists.
Rookie Kyle Kuzma led Los Angeles with 31 points, 18 coming from the 3-point line. Jordan Clarkson added 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals. Julius Randle led the second unit with 16 points and seven rebounds. Josh Hart rounded things out with 12 points and six rebounds.
The Wolves move to 21-13, still fourth in the West. The Lakers fall to 11-21, tied for 11th in the West.
Highlight of the Night
With 10.9 seconds left in the first half, Butler hesitated before driving to the basket and then spun around Kuzma for the layup to give the Wolves a 53-52 lead.
Numbers Game
- Minnesota’s bench shot 5-for-10 from the 3-point line.
- Tyus Jones had a nice all-around game, finishing with seven points, five assists and two steals in 15 minutes and eight seconds.
- The Wolves finished 7-for-10 on corner threes against the Lakers, second-most in franchise history.
Player of the Game
Gibson continues to be an absolute stud for the Wolves. He was just one rebound off of his 13th double-double of the season. He finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and one steal while shooting 11-for-13 from the field and a perfect 1-for-1 from deep.
Up Next
The Wolves head back home to take on the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on Fox Sports North and 830 WCCO.