Minnesota got a terrific effort from its bench to stay in Sunday's game against Memphis early on, but couldn't collectively slow Mike Miller and Rudy Gay in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 113-101 loss at Target Center.

"We kind of figured it out with 36 points in the second quarter," said Wolves head coach Randy Wittman. "We had a group of guys that played and passed and shared the ball. Nobody was worried about who got touches and where the ball would go. We got back into the game, but then we revert back to that other style and that will cost you."

What was the game's biggest play? It might have been an Al Jefferson hammer dunk that gave Minnesota an 88-83 lead with 9:10 left in the fourth, but instead was probably Miller's layup at the 2:40 mark, which gave Memphis a 106-99 lead. Miller finished the game with 34 points, including eight three-point bombs.

Because an NBA game is a series of plays, we identified four in each quarter that were potentially the most important in that period. You decide which play - in multiple choice fashion - you think was the most crucial, and we'll weigh in with our answers at the bottom of the page.

First Quarter
A) Mike Miller's transition layup after Mike Conley Jr. picked off a Corey Brewer pass, which finished off a 15-6 start to the game for the Grizzlies. At least Brewer's Gators smoked Conley's Buckeyes in last year's Final Four.
B) Al Jefferson's lack of first-quarter activity in eight minutes: Jefferson did not attempt a shot, grab a rebound, or do anything that showed up in the box score other than commit a personal foul.
C) Not one specific play here, but the fact that Memphis committed not one turnover in the period. Minnesota coughed it up four times.
D) Gay's monster one-handed alley-oop. Easily a top-five play Target Center fans have seen this season, it gave Memphis a 23-12 lead. Ridiculous. South Dakota native Miller tossed the oop too high - or so we thought - but Gay just kept reaching upwards before coming down in one fierce windmill motion. If you missed it, you're sure to see the slam on Sportscenter tonight. Gay, a candidate alongside Jefferson for Most Improved Player honors, is averaging 20.1 points a game this season, along with 6.1 boards. Last year, Gay put up 10.8 points and 4.5 boards

Second Quarter
A) A beautiful, athletic tip-in from Craig Smith off a Wolves' miss, which cut what was once a 13-point early lead to just four at the 11:07 mark (27-23). The Rhino tipped in another miss a few minutes later to reduce the Grizzly lead to 37-36. Smith totaled four points, six boards and an assist in 11 minutes of playing time to lead Minnesota's bench.
B) Rashad McCants's made J at the six-minute mark, which gave Minnesota its first lead of the game. After starting the evening 0-of-4 from the field, McCants sunk 5-of-7 for nine second-quarter points.
C) Kirk Snyder's transition and-1 that resulted from a Foye steal and dime, giving Minnesota a 45-43 lead at the 4:25 mark. Minnesota's bench had scored 26 of the team's 47 points after Snyder converted again on the following possession.
D) A technical foul on McCants that momentarily halted Minnesota's momentum in the second. McCants must have said something less than nice to the officials after Jaric was awarded a technical of his own for select language. Miller made both free throws, then hit a three on the next Memphis possession. Miller hit his fourth three of the first half with 40 seconds remaining (his second in a row) to give Memphis a 54-53 lead. Foye then hit a 19-foot jumper for his 11th point to put Minnesota back up one at the break.

Third Quarter
A) Jefferson's right-handed baby hook off glass that matched his point output from the first half. Perhaps it was an early message? Remember, last time Memphis came to Target Center (March 19), Jefferson had 20 of his 29 points in the second half.
B) Darko Milicic's 3-point attempt = air ball. If Gay's dunk was top five, Milicic's heave was among the five worst plays this season. Chances are Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni had something else in mind.
C) Another Mike Miller three - his sixth - that made it 72-64, the biggest Memphis lead in a while. On second thought, don't vote for this one. Ryan Gomes responded with five-straight points to close the gap to three. So Miller's three didn't change momentum. Right?
D) Minnesota's No. 1 fan, otherwise known as "coach," banging his program on the floor with particular veracity after Randy Foye's terrific pass to Big Al resulted in a dunk and a 74-72 Wolves lead. The program nearly broke when Foye hit a pull-up J on the next possession to stick the icing on a 12-0 run.

D2) Bench buddies Craig Smith and Chris Richard exchanging an odd head-nod move to Memphis free throws as a Sugarhill Gang song played on the loudspeakers. Basically, Smith would drop his head really low and bob it slowly back up. Then Richard would try. And so forth.

Fourth Quarter
A) The Memphis advantage at the free-throw line (just consider that a play, OK?) Through three quarters, the Grizzlies had attempted 15 more foul shots than Minnesota, and the start of the fourth saw Warrick hit two foul shots, making Memphis 26-of-30 from the line. Minnesota was just 9-of-12 at that point, but the Wolves had made 52.2 percent (35-of-67) of their shots from the field, to just 40.3 percent by the Grizz.
B) Three ball. Mike Miller. Number seven. 88-88. 27 points.
C) Gay's and-1 dunk at the 4:59 mark to give Memphis a 98-95 lead. Actually, no, Kyle Lowry's pick-pocket impression on McCants that went for two points the other way and a 102-97 lead with 3:42 left. That may have been bigger.
D) Mike Miller's layup at the 2:40 mark, which gave Memphis a 106-99 lead. Or, it could have been Gay's hanging jumper in the middle of the lane that made it 110-101 Memphis and effectively served as the dagger. Or Miller's eighth three. Take your pick.

ANSWERS
First quarter: B. As outstanding as was Gay's dunk, the biggest reason the Wolves struggled in the first quarter was that Al Jefferson wasn't involved.
Second quarter: C. Minnesota struggles to stay in the game if the Wolves' bench doesn't combine for 24 second-quarter points.
Third quarter: D2. Just kidding. Definitely D. Minnesota's 12-0 run turned an eight-point deficit into a four-point lead.
Fourth quarter: D. Unfortunately.