Portland Trailblazers 109
Minnesota Timberwolves 103
The Timberwolves blew a 17-point lead in a disappointing 109-103 loss to the Trailblazers Saturday night at Target Center. Minnesota has a 2-8 record at home so far this season.
1. Big lead blown
The Wolves led 63-46 early in the third quarter, but the Blazers’ Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum got hot and the Timberwolves didn’t have an answer for them. McCollum had 19 points for the game, scoring 15 of them in the second half. Lillard scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half, according to the Star Tribune.
2. A big game from KAT
Rookie Karl-Anthony Towns led the Wolves with 27 point and 12 rebounds, and provided a spark in the fourth quarter that brought Minnesota within striking distance.
Towns hasn’t been seeing much playing time in the fourth quarters of recent games. Interim coach Sam Mitchell has said he’s trying to keep Towns from getting burned out too early in the season, according to the Associated Press. But that strategy has been questioned by sports writers and fans.
Towns with a "how do you like me NOW, Sam Mitchell" three. #twolves
— MyLittLeBloggie (@MyLittLeBLOGgie) December 6, 2015
Towns sat out part of the fourth Saturday night, but Mitchell went back to him about halfway through the quarter. Towns scored 7 points, including his first 3-pointer as a pro, in a span of seven minutes to get Minnesota within two points with 1:13 left.
His second 3-point try, which would have given Minnesota a 1-point lead, missed.
Target Center fans boo when Sam Mitchell removes Karl-Anthony Towns from crunch time. Damian Lillard layup makes 107-103 lead with :18 left.
— Andy Greder (@andygreder) December 6, 2015
Towns: "My team trusts me to take that shot and make it and take us home and I just didn't deliver tonight."
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) December 6, 2015
Good sign win or lose @KarlTowns looking again like the player everyone fell in love with to start the year. Helps to be out there late.
— Marcus R. Fuller (@Marcus_R_Fuller) December 6, 2015
3. Milestone for Garnett
Kevin Garnett scored five points on the night, becoming the 15th player in NBA history to score more than 26,000 career points.
https://twitter.com/Kyle_Ratke/status/673338373939990528
Tweet of the night:
NEWS: #Twolves assign Tyus Jones to Idaho Stampede of @nbadleague. Idaho is the D-League affiliate of the Utah Jazz. pic.twitter.com/MW6FRkNEtl
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 6, 2015
Next up:
The Wolves host the Los Angeles Clippers Monday at 7 p.m.
