Wolves Fall Short vs. Thunder
By Lindsey Young / Wolves Writer
 Just when Darko Milicic's rugged exterior seemed to deflect any sort of happiness, there was a glimpse of a small smile on Sunday night in the Wolves locker room. READ MORE |
Despite a difficult first half in which Minnesota shot only 39 percent from the floor, momentum swung in the Wolves' favor when Corey Brewer took a hard charge in the paint with 1:05 remaining in the third quarter. The offensive foul granted Love the chance to nail a jump shot, and the Wolves went on to make a 9-0 run against the Thunder.
The scoring streak culminated when big man Darko Milicic landed a layup from beneath the basket to tie the game at 86-86. In his first appearance at the Target Center, Milicic seemed to find his groove in the Minnesota offense, finishing the game with eight points over 19 minutes. "He looked like he was having fun and enjoyed playing out there," Head Coach Kurt Rambis commented. "He obviously has tremendous abilities and capabilities. The No. 2 draft pick and we have him on our team right now; if we can just find a way to involve him and get him playing and understanding our system more. He has such a tremendously high basketball IQ."
"I thought it was exceptional for [Darko]," Rambis expressed. "He received a warm reception, and the fans appreciated how he played, the style of ball that he brings to us." The crowd showed their support of Milicic when he stepped onto the floor seven minutes into the game and even began a "We want Darko" chant late in the fourth quarter. "It's been a long time since I've heard something like that," Love laughed.
Minnesota started the game shooting only 22 percent halfway through the first quarter, and no one seemed able to send the ball through the hoop. Energy wilted, and the team showed disjointedness on the court. Damien Wilkins' three-point shot at the 5:31 got things rolling again, slowly or not, and the Wolves finished the quarter trailing by seven.
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Missed shots continued to haunt Minnesota throughout the game, and the fourth quarter was no exception. Although they did succeed in raising their shooting to 47 percent, the Wolves were held at bay.
"Again, it turns into the little things for us," Rambis said. "It's always the little things; one opportunity here, a turnover there, a missed shot here. It just sort of snowballs for us."
Following Milicic's basket to tie the game, the Wolves grabbed a two-point lead and then grappled to hang on. Unfortunately, the Thunder pulled away once again. A fast-break slam dunk from Wilkins followed by a Milicic layup brought Minnesota to within four, but the clock was not on its side. With 1:06 remaining in the game, the Wolves watched the game slip away and were forced to send several Thunder players to the line. Flynn sank a three-point basket, but the downtown shot failed to save the Wolves from a two-point loss.
The Wolves will head out for a three-game road trip this week, making their first stop in Miami for a 6:30 PM tipoff on Tuesday night.
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jonah on Twitter.
