Recap:
The 76ers (49-27) came out strong against the Minnesota Timberwolves (34-42), and handled business down the stretch to notch a 118-109 victory Saturday at Target Center.
With the Sixers shorthanded in the frontcourt, Jonah Bolden started for the seventh time this season, and boy, did he rise to the occasion.
Matched up with All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, the rookie went to work, finishing with a career-high 19 points, including five 3-pointers, along with eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocks.
Rebounding was key once again for the Sixers, which beat the Wolves on the boards, 55-36. They bested Minnesota on the offensive glass, 15-4, a feat all the more impressive without leading rebounder Joel Embiid (load management).
In his first game returning to Minneapolis to face his former team, Jimmy Butler gathered a 12-point, 13-rebound (season-high) double-double, along with five assists and two steals.
Tobias Harris heated up early, with 15 first-half points. For the night, he posted 25 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
Ben Simmons neared triple-double territory once again, tallying 20 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, while JJ Redick contributed 16 points and four dimes.
With Saturday’s win, the Sixers swept the Wolves in the regular season, and, coupled with Boston’s loss to Brooklyn, increased their lead to 4.5 games for the three-seed in the Eastern Conference.
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@Sixers Social:
The rook stepped up.
Up Next:
The Sixers will travel to Dallas for a meeting with the Mavericks (29-46) Monday. The Sixers took the first match-up, 106-100, on Jan. 5. The Mavericks will host the Sixers on the second night of a back-to-back, after playing at Oklahoma City on Sunday. Dallas has only won three games since Feb. 11.