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Postgame Report: Towns’ Buzzer-Beater Pushes Timberwolves Past Grizzlies 99-97

Key Stat of the Night

  • Ivan Rabb recorded his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds coming off the bench

Key Run of the Night

  • Grizzlies responded with a 16-2 run from 7:25 to 2:47 (4:38 stretch) to cut the Minnesota lead to 37-34 in the second quarter

Game Recap

Karl-Anthony Towns made a shot along the baseline as time expired in overtime to lift the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Memphis Grizzlies, 99-97, on Wednesday night at Target Center. The Grizzlies fell to 20-32 on the season and are now 2-2 in overtime games this season. Memphis has now lost eight-straight road games. The Timberwolves improved to 25-26 on the year.

In overtime, Mike Conley sank a 12-foot runner with 3:07 remaining to make it 97-95, but a Jerryd Bayless layup with 1:27 left would tie it up. After back-to-back jump balls, Minnesota won the tap to take the final possession. After Anthony Wiggins missed a shot near the top of the key, Towns corralled in the miss and sank a 14-foot fadeaway as time expired to win the game.

Conley led all scorers with 26 points and handed out a team-high eight assists while committing just one turnover. Conley has now scored 20 points or more in three-straight games, and recorded his 29th 20-point game on the season. Ivan Rabb registered his second double-double of the season, scoring 10 and pulling down 10 rebounds off the bench. Marc Gasol finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. Gasol has scored in double figures in six consecutive games. Kyle Anderson added 14 points and seven boards. Anderson has now scored in double-digits 13 times this season. Bruno Caboclo had seven points and a career-high four blocks.

Minnesota won the turnover battle, forcing Memphis into 18 turnovers and scoring 23 points off of them while committing 13 giveaways, leading to 12 points for the Grizzlies. Memphis shot 36-for-87 (.414) from the floor while Minnesota finished 37-for-95 (.389) overall. Memphis outrebounded Minnesota 51-41, but the Timberwolves outscored the Grizzlies 20-13 in second chances.

Bayless recorded his first double-double of the season, leading Minnesota with 19 points and a game-high 12 assists. Towns finished with his 33rd double-double of the year, scoring 16 points and collecting 10 boards. Wiggins added 12 points and four assists. Taj Gibson, Anthony Tolliver and Gorgui Dieng all had 10 points.

The fourth quarter was the most dramatic in regulation, featuring seven of the game’s 12 lead changes. After Conley threaded a pass to Jaren Jackson Jr. for an open layup, the Grizzlies defense forced a shot clock violation, giving them the ball with 52.4 seconds left in the game and leading 93-91. Minnesota would soon tie the game with a Towns dunk at the 33.6 mark. Conley missed a layup after a Grizzlies timeout, but the Timberwolves, who chose not to take a timeout, failed to convert on their two shots to send the game to overtime. Memphis made 9-of-17 (.529) shots in the quarter and committed only two turnovers.

Both teams’ centers found their shooting touch in the third, with Towns and Gasol both scoring 10 points in the period. Jackson Jr. floated a 12-footer in the lane with 9:25 left in the period to give the Grizzlies their first lead of the game, 48-46. The Timberwolves made the most of the Grizzlies mistakes, scoring nine points off of four turnovers in the quarter to help lead 71-69.

The Grizzlies were sloppy in the first half, turning the ball over 11 times (10 Timberwolves points) that led to a 17-point deficit. The Grizzlies dominated the glass, outrebounding the Timberwolves 31-15 (9-2 offensive rebounding) and setting a season-high for rebounds in a half.

Memphis’ offense was cold in the first quarter, going just 6-for-19 (.333) from the floor, including making 2-of-7 attempts inside the paint. (.285). The Grizzlies committed six turnovers within the first six minutes, and had eight total in the opening quarter. Minnesota went on a 9-1 run late in the period from 3:53 to 54.1 (2:59 run) to help lead 24-16.

The Timberwolves opened the second quarter with an 11-2 run, but the Grizzlies responded with a 16-2 run from 7:25 to 2:47 (4:38 stretch) to cut the Minnesota lead to 37-34. Despite missing all five three-point attempts, the Grizzlies shot better in the second quarter than the first, making 10-of-22 (.455) shots. After trailing by as much as 17 in the quarter, Rabb knocked down a pair of free throws with 44.9 seconds left to tie the game up at 42 apiece. Rabb provided a spark off the bench in the quarter, pulling down seven rebounds (three offensive) in just over seven minutes of action.

Next Game

The Grizzlies will begin February against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, February 1 in Spectrum Center at 6 p.m. CT. Tune in to FOX Sports Southeast presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN to follow the action.

Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase single-game tickets or 10-Game Flex Packs can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com/tickets. Single Game Tickets are also available for purchase at the FedExForum Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, online at grizzlies.com/tickets or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX. For more information on the Grizzlies, visit grizzlies.com, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter and Instagram (@memgrizz).

Team Quotes

Player Notes

  • Mike Conley recorded his third consecutive 20+ point effort and 29th of the season finishing with a game-high 26 points. Tonight is Conley’s sixth straight game with multiple treys (3-of-5). He also tallied a team-high eight helpers.
  • Tonight marks Kyle Anderson’s 14th double-digit scoring effort of the season, with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
  • Ivan Rabb recorded his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds coming off the bench. His 10 boards are his second-highest total of the season (11, set at Toronto on Jan. 19).

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