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Minnesota Timberwolves: Ugly start dooms Wolves against Magic

By Drew Mahowald

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Scoring points generally helps basketball teams win games, no matter what level of basketball is being played.

The Minnesota Timberwolves had a pretty tough time scoring points to begin tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic, and it ultimately cost them in the end. Orlando defeated Minnesota 96-93 as Andrew Wiggins‘ three-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game wouldn’t go.

The first quarter was an absolute disaster for the Timberwolves on the offensive end. It was incredibly stagnant and just no fun to watch. When they did start to move cohesively and run something resembling an offensive set, it seemed as if at least one of the guys on the floor every time was either lost or forgot the play. I actually felt like I was watching my fifth grade brother’s team.

Overall, the Wolves scored just 14 points in the first quarter on a sickening 5 of 21 from the field and 4 of 8 from the free throw line. Excuse me while I go vomit.

Heading into halftime, the Wolves trailed by a score of 54-41. However, they put together a strong second half that included a 24-10 run to tie the game at 87 in the fourth quarter.

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Then, Victor Oladipo scored five of his 13 points on a dunk and a three-pointer to help Orlando regain its lead, which was never lost again.

With just 5.6 seconds remaining, Wiggins missed a free throw that would’ve tied the game 94-94. Instead, Orlando was able to capitalize on a couple of free throws and Magic second-year forward Aaron Gordon was able to force Wiggins into a tough three-point attempt to tie at the buzzer.

Wiggins led all scorers with 27 points (9/15 FG, 1/3 3pt FG, 8/11 FT) and also grabbed four rebounds for Minnesota. Kevin Martin was finally able to contribute amidst a pretty tough slump, tallying 16 points (4/9 FG, 2/2 3pt FG, 6/6 FT) for the night.

Orlando’s scoring was led by Nikola Vucevic, who had his way most of the night against Karl-Anthony Towns in the post. Vucevic totaled 18 points (9/19 FG) and 12 rebounds, while Andrew Nicholson provided a nice spark off the bench for the Magic by adding 15 points (6/11 FG, 3/4 FT) and 6 rebounds.

With the loss, the Wolves officially lose the two-game season series against the Magic. Additionally, the Timberwolves fall to 8-10 on the season, including a putrid 2-7 at home.

Notes/Observations

  • Karl-Anthony Towns wasn’t himself tonight. For whatever reason, he looked completely overwhelmed for the first time all season. After all, he is just a rookie, and games like this are expected to happen from any rookie. It’s part of the reason why Gorgui Dieng saw all the playing time in the fourth quarter.
  • Speaking of Dieng, he continues to improve with each game, looking like the rookie version of himself that played with a chip on his shoulder. He put up 11 points (4/6 FG, 3/3 FT), 7 rebounds and 3 blocks while holding his own all night down low.
  • Ricky Rubio was as out of sync tonight as I’ve seen him in his entire career, and I’m not kidding about that. He just didn’t have it tonight.
  • Shabazz Muhammad continues to show game after game that he deserves more than 16 minutes per game. Again tonight, he played a key role off the bench as he played a big part of the second half surge that got the Wolves back in the game.
  • If there’s one positive to take from this game, it’s that aggressive Andrew Wiggins was in full force once again. He’s becoming incredibly adept at drawing fouls, and I think that’s helping him become more comfortable taking the ball to the rack.

Next: Twins sign Korean slugger Byung-Ho Park to four-year deal

Onward

The Minnesota Timberwolves continue their four-game homestand on Saturday as they host the Portland Trail Blazers. As always, stay tuned to Sporting Sota for news and analysis on the Timberwolves and all your favorite Minnesota teams.

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