The Timberwolves haven’t lost at the Target Center since Dec. 16.
Think of all the things that have happened since then! Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Stefon Diggs’ catch, your car not starting, and you still had hopes of Summer Bod 2018.
(There’s always next year!)
The Wolves beat the Nets 111-97 at home on Saturday night, extending their home winning streak to 10. The squad is now 20-6 at Target Center this season.
Minnesota gave itself a 31-10 cushion in the first quarter and that ended up being enough of a cushion for the Wolves, who led by as much as 26 in the game.
Jimmy Butler, who had missed the previous four games with a knee injury, led Minnesota with 21 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Andrew Wiggins also scored 21 points to go with five rebounds. Karl-Anthony Towns had a ho-hum 16-point, 19-rebound double-double while blocking three shots. Jamal Crawford led the bench with 16 points. Taj Gibson had 14 points and five boards. Tyus Jones was a steady hand off the bench, finishing with 13 points and five assists.
Jahlil Okafor led Brooklyn with 21 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. Nik Stauskas scored 15 points, while DeMarre Carroll had 12 points and six rebounds. Rookie Jarrett Allen added 10 points and five rebounds.
The Wolves move to 32-20 overall, fourth in the West – a half game behind the Spurs and a game and a half ahead of the Thunder.
The Nets fall to 18-32, 13th in the East.
Highlight of the Night
With just 0.1 seconds left on the shot clock, Butler hit a layup with the harm to tie the game at 4-4 in the first quarter. Did Butler miss the free throw after? Yes, but Wolves fans were happy to see their All-Star back after his knee injury.
Numbers Game
- Towns had 10 offensive rebounds, marking a career high. It was also just one fewer than the Nets had as an entire team.
- The Wolves have yet to lose three-straight games this season. In 2016-17, the team had lost three or more in a row five times up to this point.
- The Wolves turned it over just six times while the Nets did 15.
Player of the Game
Towns quietly had himself a solid night, finishing with 16 points, 19 rebounds, three blocks, one steal and one assist. He shot 7-for-16 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
His 43 double-doubles lead the NBA.
Here’s a look at all of his rebounds against Brooklyn because we love you so much.
Up Next
The Wolves hit the road again. They’ll play in Atlanta against the Hawks on Monday. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on Fox Sports North and 830 WCCO.