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In a thriller on Saturday night in Minneapolis, Bradley Beal’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer sent the game into overtime, but the Wizards fell short to the Timberwolves, 135-130.
Beal’s near triple-double of 36 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists would not be enough, as the Wizards dropped their second straight close game of the weekend. Trevor Ariza added 27 points and four assists, while Tomas Satoransky dished out 11 assists.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 40 points and 16 rebounds, while Derrick Rose (29 points) hit big shot after big shot late in the game to seal the victory. Unfortunately, Towns left the game at the end of regulation with a right knee injury.
The Wizards dominated the first half, taking a 71-60 lead into the halftime break. Bobby Portis scored 15 of his 21 points in the first quarter, anchoring a 14-0 run to open up a 15-point lead early. Towns scored 26 of his 40 points in the first half, and rallied the Timberwolves back from their double-digit deficit.
Washington made 8-of-16 3-pointers in the first half, but only shot 8-of-28 from beyond the arc in the second half and overtime. The Wizards unfortunately missed several open 3-pointers down the stretch of the fourth quarter, but finished regulation with three straight Beal buckets including the game-tying 3-pointer. Beal would score all 14 of the Wizards’ final points of regulation, and four of nine in overtime.
"We gave ourselves a great opportunity down the stretch to win," Beal said postgame. "Even then, I think we even gave up the lead in the fourth. We have to be a much better job of closing out games. Doing better in those situations.”
In overtime, Washington only trailed by two with 37.2 seconds left, but Rose nailed a 19-foot step-back jump shot after the Timberwolves’ offensive rebound. The Wolves would close the game out, solidifying the game on that reload and bucket by Rose. On the night, Minnesota scored 21 second chance points on 19 offensive rebounds. Taj Gibson had six of those 19, while Towns grabbed five and Dario Saric had four. The Timberwolves also scored 22 points off the Wizards’ 19 turnovers.
“The offensive rebounding, or defensive rebounding for us," Ariza said of the difference in the game. "Late in the game we had those opportunities to get those rebounds and we didn’t. That’s the difference in the game.”
The Wizards (27-39) will return home on Monday to begin a pivotal five-game homestand against the Sacramento Kings.