Blowing double-digit leads killed the Timberwolves in the playoffs last season and it’s already a problem this season. Minnesota nearly lost after leading by double digits in the opener against the Thunder, and they lost Friday to the Jazz after building a 17-point lead in the first quarter.
Utah hit 20 threes and beat the Timberwolves 132-126 in overtime.
Blowing the big lead was a killer, as was a pair of missed free throws by Rudy Gobert when the Wolves were trailing 128-126 with under 40 seconds to play in overtime. After his second miss, Laurie Markkanen hit a jumper to put the Jazz up by four to seal the win.
Gobert, in his first game against his former team, finished with nine points, 23 rebounds and two blocks. Overtime wouldn’t have happened if not for Gobert’s key putback a free throw late in the fourth quarter, part of a late rally in which the Wolves forced OT after trailing 120-113 with 1:45 to go.
D’Angelo Russell sent Mike Conley reaching and falling with a nasty behind-the-back crossover and then banked in a shot with 4.4 seconds to play to tie the game 120-120.
🚨 D'Angelo Russell stops on a DIME to tie it up 🚨
We're headed to OT in Minnesotahttps://t.co/qVo4oyIkfZ pic.twitter.com/iuva31Lb9u
— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2022
Minnesota led by 17 points with 19 seconds left in the first quarter and carried a nine-point lead into the third quarter. That’s when the Jazz got hot and took advantage of countless Wolves mistakes, outscoring Minnesota 62-46 in the middle quarters.
Anthony Edwards and Jaylen Nowell combined for 21 of Minnesota’s 23 points in the third quarter. Jordan McLaughlin’s buzzer beater to end the third accounted for the other two points.
The Wolves had five turnovers and gave up nine offensive rebounds in the third.
Edwards led the Wolves with 30 points. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 and Russell finished with 23. Nowell had 18 off the bench.
Up next: Timberwolves at Oklahoma City on Sunday at 7 p.m.
