There have been a few disappointing Timberwolves games lately, so if you were feeling nervous when the Wolves went down 63-44 midway through the second quarter and were allowing the Orlando Magic to shoot over 70 percent from the field, we wouldn’t blame you.
That nervousness, however, ended up being unnecessary. The Wolves roared back in the second and third quarters, tightening up their defense and hanging a 51-17 run on the Magic to absolutely dominate the Magic and take a 10-point lead going into the fourth quarter—a lead they would never relinquish, beating the Magic 120-103.
The story of the game was Jeff Teague, who returned to the lineup tonight after a nine-game absence due to ankle injury. It seems like the time off did him good. Teague was smart, aggressive and poised as he led the Wolves back into this game after they went down early. Kyle Ratke has more over at timberwolves.com.
Karl-Anthony Towns was simply phenomenal again. He’s just been on another planet the last few games. He ended the game with 29 points and 15 rebounds, his 25th double-double of the season and one of the greatest finishes we’ve seen this season. Towns also had 12 points and eight rebounds in the pivotal third quarter of the contest. He continues to come through when the Wolves need him most. The big man is simply not slowing down. Send him to the All-Star Game.
The Wolves’ blowout victory was anchored by absolute dominance on the boards. They outrebounded the Magic 54-35 including 10 on the offensive end. That effort was led by Towns but supported by the rest of the team. Six Wolves ended up with more than four rebounds. You need that kind of all-around effort to win the rebounding battle, and the Wolves locked it down tonight.
Going from down 19 to going up by 21 in the fourth quarter is a sign of a good team. The Wolves didn’t let the early deficit get to their heads and kept their energy and execution going until the final buzzer. It was one stop at a time and one basket at a time—it sounds cliché but that how the Wolves did this. They found the open man, they played as a team, they had each other’s backs, and they got a much-needed victory. This would have been a bad game to lose, and the team played like they knew that tonight. Now it’s time to keep building.
A few things I noticed…
- Tom Thibodeau always preaches staying ready, and it appears that Anthony Tolliver was listening. Tolliver routinely stays after practice to get three-pointers up, and his work paid off tonight. In 29minutes, Tolliver tied his season high with 11 points and three three-pointers. As long as Covington is out, the Wolves will need Tolliver to be productive. That got off to a great start tonight.
- The Wolves’ offense was very efficient tonight. They shot 51.6 percent from the field and hit 34.6 percent from beyond the arc. The issues in the first half were on the defensive end, and it was encouraging to see the Wolves tighten up their defense while still playing freely on offense. To be fair, the Magic aren’t a great defense, but it was a fun performance.
- We haven’t talked about Taj Gibson in a while! Gibson is so consistent that his performances often fly under the radar. He was awesome tonight, scoring 14 points on just seven shots and adding 10 rebounds. While the game ball goes to Teague, Gibson paced the team emotionally. He encouraged his teammates to keep shooting, got a few buckets when they needed them most and demonstrated the kind of leadership the Wolves have come to expect from their veteran stalwart.
The Wolves are back at Target Center on Sunday afternoon to face to Lakers. Get your tickets here!