The Wolves snapped a two-game losing streak on Wednesday night, defeating the Magic 124-118 at Target Center.
The Wolves led 65-62 at half, but the game was decided when the Wolves outscored the Magic 41-18 in the third quarter.
This allowed Minnesota to hold on despite a 38-18 run from Orlando in the fourth.
Jimmy Butler led the Wolves in scoring, finishing with 26 points. He also added two steals and shot 3-for-4 from the 3-point line. Taj Gibson added 24 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Jeff Teague had a 22-point, 11-assist double-double. Andrew Wiggins scored 20 points while hauling in six rebounds. Karl-Anthony Towns rounded things out with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Aaron Gordon led Orlando with 26 points and nine rebounds. Terrence Ross added 22, nine coming from deep. Evan Fourier scored 19. Nikola Vucevic had an 11-point, 14-rebound double-double. Elfrid Payton scored 10 points and had 13 assists.
The Wolves advance to 11-7, fourth in the West. The Magic fall to 8-10, 12th in the East.
Highlight Of The Game
Wiggins gets the block, then hustles back for a rebound, getting the hoop and the harm.
The Numbers Game
- The Wolves turned the ball over just seven times while Orlando turned it over 14.
- Orlando’s bench outscored Minnesota’s 27-14.
- This is the first of a four-game homestand for the Wolves.
Player Of The Game
Gibson was an animal for the Wolves from the start. He finished with a season-high 24 points to go with nine rebounds, two assists and two steals. He shot 8-for-11 from the field and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.
Up Next
The Wolves host the Heat on Friday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on Fox Sports North and 830-WCCO.