Timberwolves avoid an embarrassing defeat, do enough to beat NBA-worst Pistons 124-117 – Star Tribune
DETROIT – Wednesday night’s 124-117 Timberwolves win over the Detroit Pistons was as atypical of a game as the Wolves have played all season.
A team that has prided itself on taking care of business against the worst teams in the NBA suddenly adopted last season’s problem of taking its opponent too lightly.
A team that has prided itself on defense allowed 40 points in the first quarter to this Pistons team, which set a record for the longest single-season losing streak and was without its leading scorer, Cade Cunningham.
But the Wolves of this season showed up just enough late in the third quarter and early in the fourth to prevent their most embarrassing loss of the season.
Behind some inspired play from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the Wolves closed the third and opened the fourth on a 16-2 run, with Alexander-Walker scoring seven points, his only points of the night, and creating a pair of turnovers during his shift.
“We got a little more serious in the second half,” said Wolves coach Chrish Finch. “I didn’t really like our seriousness in the first half. Game plan was not very on point and I thought we were too bothered by officiating and stuff like this instead of just playing.
“… Wasn’t a huge fan of our performance tonight but we did enough to get a win. End of the day, that’s what matters, but it’s not the standard we had hoped for.”
The Wolves led 109-92 with 9 minutes, 51 seconds remaining. Detroit got as close as 115-109 with 3:56 left before an 8-0 Wolves run iced the night. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 27 points, which included a perfect 5-for-5 showing from three-point range. Anthony Edwards had 27 points and shot 10-for-24 from the field, while Jaden McDaniels added a season-high 23 points. Rudy Gobert had 19 points and 16 rebounds.
The Wolves began the night with one of their most lifeless quarters of the season on the defensive end. Detroit got to the rim at will and began the night hitting 67% of its shots through the first quarter.
The Wolves didn’t have much trouble scoring themselves, but contrary to other performances they’ve had against bottom-feeding teams this season, Wednesday’s first quarter registered as a major disappointment. They trailed 40-39 after one.
The Wolves tightened up the defense headed into the second quarter and held the Pistons to 22 points on 39% shooting, except their offense went in the opposite direction for most of the quarter, and that allowed Detroit to stay close.
The Wolves started to get a little separation toward the end of the quarter. Edwards got what he wanted at the rim during the half for 17 points, which included a highlight-reel throw-down jam in the first quarter that quickly made its way around social media. Gobert and Towns each had 15 points at the half, while McDaniels pitched in 14 to give the Wolves a 70-62 lead.
The Wolves pushed the lead back into double digits in the early part of the third, and it seemed as if they were threatening to make a run to bury the Pistons after Towns hit his fourth three-pointer in four attempts and the Wolves led by 13.
But just when it seemed the Wolves might make that surge, Detroit responded with a 14-6 run and coach Chris Finch called a timeout with the Wolves clinging to a 91-88 lead. They closed the quarter 7-2 for a 98-90 lead headed into the fourth as Alexander-Walker brought a much-needed dose of intensity with a steal and a pair of buckets. Their offense iced the game late.
