END OF THE 3RD: #Twolves lead 73-72. pic.twitter.com/SfFgMxytXU
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 31, 2014
The Utah Jazz held off the Timberwolves 100-94, Tuesday night and sent Minnesota to their ninth consecutive loss.
The nine-game losing streak is the longest for Minnesota since losing 11 straight games back in 2012. It was also the Wolves ninth straight road loss and drops the Wolves to 1-24 in games where they have surrendered 100 points or more.
The contest was back-and-forth all night and in the end the play of Trey Burke and Gordon Hayward was just enough to hold off the Wolves.
Burke finished with 26 points, he also dished out six assists and grabbed four rebounds. Hayward chipped in 24 and was three-of-four from behind the arc.
Shabazz Muhammad scored a career high 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting, he was five-of-six from behind the arc. Andrew Wiggins added 21. They were the only two Wolves in double figures.
Before Utah rallied late in the fourth quarter, it looked like Minnesota was in position to put the game away. A 12-0 run in the late third and early fourth allowed the Wolves to create some separation.
Wow. Wolves HAD this one.
— Phil (@PhilErvin) December 31, 2014
But the Jazz answered that run with a 28-12 run to reclaim the lead and put the Wolves away. Minnesota got out to an early lead, building the six-point advantage in the first quarter highlighted by an alley-oop from two of the Wolves up-and-comers.
Andrew Wiggins Alley-Oop to Shabazz Muhammad https://t.co/VpuwHrpXbe
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) December 31, 2014
But Utah battled back in the second, and despite leading the majority of the first half, Minnesota let the halftime lead slip away as the Jazz claimed a one-point halftime advantage 45-44, and the teams exchanged leads throughout the second half.
Minnesota (5-25) finishes December at 1-14. The team will hope January will bring some better things as the Wolves host Sacramento Thursday night.
