Looking at the scoreboard, it’s easy to get disappointed.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were blown out at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 125-99. But for the Wolves, it was a step up from Wednesday’s 78-74 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Andrew Wiggins, who averaged 30 points per game against the Cavaliers last season (the team that drafted him), scored a career-high 35 points on Friday night, shooting 12-for-19 from the field, 3-for-7 from the 3-point line and 8-for-12 from the free-throw line. He also added three assists, two rebounds, a steal and a block. Wiggins came out looking engaged and aggressive offensively, which hasn’t always been the case this season.
Another positive was Shabazz Muhammad off the bench. Muhammad’s minutes have been up and down this season, but he’s been consistent as of late. That continued as he scored 22 points, shooting 6-for-13 from the field. He also had two assists, which doesn’t seem like much, but interim head coach Sam Mitchell has stressed ball movement lately. Two assists for Muhammad is a major plus.
And then there’s the Rookie of the Year leader Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns finished with 22 points, six rebounds and three assists. He shot 11-for-14 from the field, but failed to get to the free-throw line.
The Wolves lost by 26. That’s disheartening, but for a team searching for positives, there were a few on Friday night.
J.R. Smith went off for the Cavaliers, finishing with 27 points, shooting 10-for-12 from the field and 5-for-6 from the 3-point line. Iman Shumpert finished with 23 points. Former Wolves power forward Kevin Love finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. LeBron James scored just 13 points, but had 12 rebounds and eight assists.
The Wolves fall to 12-25, while the Cavaliers move to 23-12.
Numbers Game:
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Wiggins has scored 20 or more points 18 times this season.
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Minnesota shot well from the 3-point line, hitting 7 of 16 shots from deep.
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Former Wolves point guard Mo WIlliams played zero minutes.
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The Cavaliers outrebounded the Wolves 43-33.
Leader of the Pack: Andrew Wiggins
Wiggins haunted the Cavaliers once again with his career-high 35 points. In three career games against Cleveland, Wiggins is averaging 31.7 points per game. Pretty impressive considering he’s being matched up with James for a chunk for the game. On the season, he’s averaging 20.5 points per game.
Highlight of the Night
With 16 seconds left, Wiggins flew by Love (which makes it sweeter for Wolves fans) and threw down a huge two-handed dunk.
Up Next
The homestand continues on Sunday as the Wolves will host the Dallas Mavericks at 4 p.m. The game will air on Fox Sports North and 830 WCCO.