Julian AndrewsWeb Editorial AssociateTwitter
Jimmy Butler returned to action in an absolute must-win for the Wolves, and Minnesota took care of the Lakers 113-96 at Staples Center, securing their hold on the West’s eighth seed.
In a somewhat odd start to this one, Brook Lopez turned back the clock and scored the Lakers’ first 15 points! But the Wolves hung with L.A. behind nine first-quarter points from Jeff Teague and seven Lakers turnovers forced by quick hands from the Wolves, including two Butler steals.
The Wolves were uncharacteristically bad at the free-throw line in the first half, going 8 of 13, and Karl-Anthony Towns got into some early foul trouble which hurt Minnesota on the boards. The Lakers outplayed Minnesota in the second quarter, including a stretch where they went on an 18-4 run. It wasn’t the greatest first half for the Wolves. They were down six going into halftime.
Minnesota came out with a lot more energy in the second half. They played aggressively and got a nice lift off a few excellent Butler plays. They opened the half on a 16-6 run. The Wolves continued to pour it on in the third, shutting down the Lakers’ offensive attack and hitting their shots on offense. They took an 80-73 lead into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Wolves took over. Butler was sensational, Towns was tough under the basket, and it seemed like wherever you looked the Wolves were fighting for boards, swatting away loose balls and finishing highlight plays. The Lakers tried to make it interesting with about four minutes left, but the Timberwolves didn’t let them make a serious run.
The Wolves needed this game badly, and it was nice to get it in such a convincing fashion. The second half especially was incredibly encouraging. The team played with fire and imposed their will on the Lakers. They’ll need that attitude in their upcoming games.
Highlight of the Night:
The Wolves’ fourth-quarter run was capped by an incredible transition alley-oop to Butler from Tyus Jones. Good defense leads to good offense, and having a player with Butler’s athleticism finishing lobs doesn’t hurt.
Just throw it up there, Butler will get it.
Numbers Game:
The Wolves won despite shooting only 73.1-percent from the line, going 19 of 26 from the line. The Lakers were 26 for 32.
Minnesota turned the ball over only 5 times, and forced 20 Lakers turnovers. The Wolves stole the ball 14 times and blocked eight shots as a team. They will get a lot of wins with numbers like that.
Five Wolves players shot over 50-percent from the field: Butler, Taj Gibson, Teague, Jones, and Gorgui Dieng.
Player of the Game:
Jimmy Butler. He clearly hasn’t lost a step on offense, and my goodness the man is good on defense. He finished with four steals and absolutely set the tone for the Wolves on the defensive end. The Wolves have a lot of talent, but Butler seems to be the force that holds them all together. He was extraordinarily efficient as well, going for 18 points on 70-percent shooting in only 22 minutes.
Up Next:
The Wolves return to Target Center to face the Grizzlies on Monday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on Fox Sports North and WCCO.