New year. Same Wolves.
As of late, at least.
The Wolves beat the Lakers 114-96 on Monday night at Target Center, their seventh win in their last eight games.
Minnesota came out hot and didn’t stop after outscoring the Lakers 30-18 in the first quarter.
Jimmy Butler led the Wolves with 28 points, nine assists and three steals. Andrew Wiggins added 21 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Gorgui Dieng led the bench with 17 points. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and two steals. Taj Gibson added 14 points and five boards.
Jordan Clarkson led the Lakers with 20 points off the bench. Julius Randle added 15 points and 12 rebounds. Brandon Ingram scored 14 points and hauled in five rebounds. Former Wolf Corey Brewer finished with 12 points and two steals off the bench. Josh Hart rounded things out with 10 points.
The Wolves move to 24-14, fourth in the West. The Lakers fall to 11-25, 15th in the West.
Highlight of the Night
With 9:59 left in the first quarter, Wiggins went coast to coast and threw up an oop to Butler, giving the Wolves an 11-0 lead.
Numbers Game
- With 18,978 fans, the Wolves hit their fifth sellout of the season and second straight. It’s the first back-to-back sellout since 2015 when Kevin Garnett was traded back to the team.
- The Wolves shot an impressive 27-for-30 (90 percent) from the free-throw line.
- Minnesota forced 24 turnovers in the game, resulting in 29 points.
Player of the Game
Butler continued his hot streak, finishing with 28 points, nine assists and three steals while shooting 8-for-14 from the field, 1-for-1 from the 3-point line and 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.
Up Next
The Wolves hit the road to take on the Nets in Brooklyn on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on Fox Sports North and 830 AM WCCO.