Wolves rookie phenom Andrew Wiggins hammered home a SportsCenter worthy slam over Rudy Gobert before halftime and for a few moments time stood still. Wiggins let out an uncharacteristic roar after the slam that capped a 16-2 run that cut a 15-point lead down to a single point.
Jazz coach Quin Snyder called a quick timeout to temper the infectious enthusiasm that seemed to bellow throughout Target Center.
Then the game resumed.
Utah went on a 29-6 run after the highlight from Wiggins, took a commanding lead, and rode that momentum to a 104-84 runway win over Minnesota on Monday night at Target Center.
“We just didn’t come out with enough effort tonight,” Chase Budinger said. “They did everything better than us tonight and it showed 100 percent out there.”
Postgame Interview: Andrew Wiggins
It was almost like the Wolves forgot there was still a game to be played after Wiggins dropped the hammer.
Gordon Hayward led the dominant effort for the Jazz with 22 points in the win. Trey Burke, who always seems to play well at Target Center, chipped in with 19 points off the bench. Gobert and Trevor Booker each had a double-double.
Utah also finished with a 22-11 advantage in fastbreak points — a number that continued to grow as the game progressed.
“They were able to hurt us because of our inability to score,” Wolves coach Flip Saunders said. “They got those transition points off our missed shots and turnovers.”
Minnesota, on the other hand, again playing with an 8-man rotation struggled to find any source of production. Wiggins finished his night with 17 points, while Zach LaVine led the Wolves with a team-high 21 points on 19 shots.
Saunders offered a potential reasoning for the struggles afterwards.
Postgame Interview: Chase Budinger
“We’ve played about 12 games with an 8-man rotation,” he said. “That’s caught up to us. Those guys in there are exhausted. That’s not an excuse. It’s just the reality of the situation.”
Wiggins said he’s focused on improving his aggressiveness throughout the season. That increase has been proven by the fact that he’s getting to the charity stripe at a significantly higher rate over the last few games. Wiggins was 7-for-9 from the free throw line in the loss.
“I know from watching other players that they have great games by getting to the line and getting to the rim,” Wiggins said. “That opens a lot of stuff up for my teammates so that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
Wiggins punctuated his night with another ferocious throw down from the right side of the bucket. He took a pass from Zach LaVine and soared through the air before pounding home a ridiculous one-handed rim rocker.
Those types of plays continue to impress Saunders.
“Do I want more from him?” Saunders said. “Yeah. That’s what a coach is supposed to want. … He has really expanded his game. There’s no question he’s the Rookie of the Year and anyone that throws anything else out is dreaming.”
Postgame Interview: Flip Saunders
That late slam from Wiggins, however, was a stark yet familiar contrast compared to his earlier highlight.
As the final seconds mercifully bled off the clock in the forgettable loss to the Jazz, the crowd of 12,229 that buzzed after the initial slam from Wiggins was reduced to a smattering by the end of the night.
“We were energized coming out,” Wiggins said. “We just got a little tired down the stretch. They didn’t.”
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LEADER OF THE PACK
Andrew Wiggins didn’t stuff the stat sheet in the loss to Utah — he finished with 17 points in the loss. He didn’t really shoot particularly well — he was 5-for-15 from the floor. Wiggins, however, was the lifeblood for Minnesota in an otherwise forgettable performance against the Jazz. He had a trio of nasty slams that made an awful game borderline watchable. Wiggins also played another 38 minutes in the contest to up his season total.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME
NUMBERS GAME
-- Minnesota started the likes of Lorenzo Brown, Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, Adreian Payne, and Justin Hamilton against the Utah Jazz. That marks a team-record 27 different starting lineups for the Wolves this season.
-- Andrew Wiggins logged another contest with a boatload of minutes as he was on the court for 38 minutes against the Jazz. Wiggins leads the NBA in minutes over the last couple months and added to that number with his total in the loss.
-- Utah was efficient from the floor before halftime finishing 18-for-38 on its attempts. Minnesota, on the other hand, was 15-for-42 from the floor.
-- Minnesota didn’t get much help from its group of reserves in the game as the Utah bench mob held a 40-28 advantage on the night.
LOOKING AHEAD
Minnesota will take Tuesday off in preparation for a home contest against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at Target Center. Minnesota and Toronto met earlier this month and the Wolves lost.