Minnesota Timberwolves: Lillard leads Blazers past Wolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ home opener began with an incredibly touching tribute to the team’s head coach, general manager and part-owner Flip Saunders, who passed away last Sunday. I’ve attached the videos below. Make sure you have something to wipe your eyes with.
Believe it or not, there was a basketball game played at Target Center after this series of tributes. The Wolves were looking to improve to 3-0 on the season against the Portland Trail Blazers, who came into the game 1-2 on the year. In the end, the Timberwolves wound up falling to the Blazers by a score of 106-101.
The first quarter was dominated by the Timberwolves, as they came out firing on all cylinders. Great play from Ricky Rubio and Kevin Martin off the bench helped the Wolves earn a 34-21 lead after one quarter of play.
The second quarter was, well, the opposite. Minnesota’s second unit, which struggled in the first two games, again struggled early in the second quarter and the Blazers slowly but surely climbed back into the game. Additionally, the last few minutes of the first half was probably the worst stint of the season for the starting five. Overall, Portland outscored the Wolves 32-19 in the second, tying the game up at 53 going into halftime.
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Both the Wolves and the Blazers exchanged baskets back and forth for the most part in the third quarter. Damian Lillard played some pretty incredible basketball in the third quarter, hitting a multitude of difficult shots and running the pick-and-roll very effectively. Portland would take an 83-80 lead into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter of this game was interesting, to say the least, and putting it all into words is going to be a tough task. After the Blazers pushed their lead to ten points late in the game, the Wolves battled back and eventually were able to tie the game. The turning point in the game came in the final minute, with the Wolves down by a score of 103-101. Andrew Wiggins leapt up to tap in a rebound, but it was called offensive interference. Here’s the play:
Maybe it’s just my bias, but that ball appears to be clearly out of the cylinder and off the rim when Wiggins taps it in. Even after reviewing the play in the official NBA Replay Center or whatever it’s called, they still couldn’t get it right?
Anyway, the Wolves were able to get another opportunity to tie or take the lead late, but Andrew Wiggins missed a contested layup and Karl-Anthony Towns forced a jump ball with Mason Plumlee. Then, on the jump ball, Towns and Plumlee both essentially mauled each other, but Towns was given the foul. In the referee’s defense, that’s tough call to make. A double foul would’ve been the correct call in that situation.
When it was all said and done, the Wolves fell in frustrating fashion by a score of 106-101. Martin led the Wolves in scoring with 24 points, followed by Wiggins with 16 and Rubio with 12 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and three steals.
Notes/Observations
— Damian Lillard was incredible for the Blazers tonight. He finished with 34 points (14/25 FG, 4/9 3pt FG, 2/3 FT), seven assists and two steals. Additionally, Lillard also seemed to have a bunch of hockey assists as well, as his execution of the pick-and-roll led to a lot of open baskets for the Blazers.
— Kevin Martin’s bench scoring is very important for this team. There’s no way the Wolves get the win against the Lakers in the season opener without it, and there’s probably no way the Wolves are in this game without it, either. Tonight, he put up 24 points (7/12 FG, 2/4 3pt FG, 8/11 FT) and continues to be a master of getting to the free throw line.
— Ricky Rubio and Kevin Garnett are this team’s two best defenders and it’s not even close. Both made some key plays down the stretch in the fourth quarter, and they’ve also both been leading this team defensively all season.
— Even though Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t light up the stat sheet tonight, he was mighty impressive. He showed an incredible amount of grit and competitiveness for a 19-year-old tonight, winning some loose balls that he really shouldn’t have.
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— I continue to be a little confused at what Sam Mitchell is actually doing with his rotations. I get that it’s the beginning of the season and he’s just trying to get a feel for things, but he’s leaving the bench players on the floor way too long. Wiggins and Towns played 23 and 26 minutes, respectively, and that’s just not going to cut it for me.
— The officiating at the end of the game…where do I start. Between the blown offensive interference call (AFTER REVIEWING IT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES), the missed foul call on the jump ball, and the no-call on Kevin Martin’s final shot attempt, the referees really screwed the Wolves at the end of this game. Nobody wants to see officiating decide games, no matter what sport it is, and that’s exactly what happened tonight.
— At the same time, the Wolves built a substantial lead in the first half and let it slip away too easily. Both the starting unit and the second unit played poorly in the second quarter, allowing the Blazers to get right back in the game.
— Despite the loss, I’m encouraged by this Wolves performance. Minnesota Timberwolves basketball is fun again, and it appears as if it will be that way for a long time.
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