Clutch shot after clutch shot.
Unfortunately for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Chicago Bulls ended with the last clutch shot on Monday night, as the Wolves fell 84-82 in overtime in the Summer League Championship.
Second-year guard and Summer League MVP Tyus Jones hit a deep 3-pointer to give the Wolves a 3-point lead with less than four seconds left, but former Michigan State standout Denzel Valentine fired back with a 3-pointer of his own to force overtime.
Jones hit a layup with 43 seconds left in overtime before he dished it to Xavier Silas’ 3-pointer to tie things up with 11.7 seconds left, but at the buzzer, Valentine hit a tough fade-away shot for the win. Those two Valentine shots accounted for five of his seven points.
This shouldn’t take anything away from the Wolves, besides the trophy of course. The Wolves rallied after losing their first three games, to advance to the championship game.
Jones led the way for Minnesota, finishing with 27 points and 10 assists. Through eight games, Jones averaged 20.3 points.
His teammate with the Wolves last season, Adreian Payne, was solid as well, finishing with 22 points, 16 rebounds, one block and one steal. He shot 7-for-16 from the field and 3-for-6 from the 3-point line. Silas rounded things out for the Wolves, finishing with 10 points.
Second-year forward Bobby Portis finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Jerian Grant also had a double-double, adding 24 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bulls finished Summer League with a perfect 7-0 record, while the Wolves finished at 4-4.
Highlight of the Game
For the Bulls, obviously the highlight is Valentine’s 3-pointer to force overtime and fade-away to win the game. But for the Wolves, it was when Jones pulled up from deep to hit a go-ahead 3-pointer to give Minnesota a 77-74 lead with 3.6 seconds left in the game. Teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Zach LaVine celebrated plenty from the stands.
The Numbers Game
- The Wolves outscored the Bulls 29-14 in the second quarter. Good, right? Of course… But then the Bulls outscored the Wolves 27-16 in the third quarter.
- The Bulls outrebounded the Wolves 48-38.
- There weren’t a whole lot of free throws for an overtime game. The Wolves shot 13-for-17 (76.5 percent) from the free-throw line, while the Bulls shot 7-for-12 (58.3 percent).
Player of the Game
Jones, again, dominated this game. The guard finished with a game-high 27 points to go with 10 assists, two rebounds and two steals. Jones shot just 9-for-21 from the field, but got to the line 10 times, making eight of them.