Minnesota came into a crucial game against red-hot Memphis Friday with a chance to tie the Grizzlies for the ninth spot in the Western Conference standings and move closer to a playoff spot.
But a poor first half and lackluster fourth-quarter ended the Wolves opportunity to do that, losing to Memphis 94-90 at Target Center.
Zach Randolph led Memphis with 26 points and 12 rebounds while Courtney Lee added 16 points on just seven shots.
Minnesota got 28 from Kevin Love but without center Nikola Pekovic the Wolves continue their struggle to find a second scoring option, as Kevin Martin was next in scoring for Minnesota with just 14 points on 17 shots.
After battling to get back above .500 for the first time in over two months, the Wolves drop back to even on the season, while Memphis has now won 10 of their last 11 games and are within a half-game of the West’s final playoff spot.
The Wolves travel to Atlanta to take on the Hawks tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.
