An NBA team that finishes a game with fewer points than shots attempted is probably a team that didn’t win that game.
That’s exactly what the Timberwolves (12-13) did in a 101-97 loss to the Celtics (12-14) in Boston Monday night.
Minnesota attempted 98 shots and finished with 97 points.
Kevin Love failed to put together a third straight mighty man effort. He struggled from the field hitting on just 9-of-26 shots, including a ratty 2-11 on three-pointers. Love poured in a combined 72 points including 12 three-pointers in the previous two games against San Antonio and Memphis.
He still finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds for his 22nd double-double of the season.
Ricky Rubio struggled even more than Love. He connected on just two shots and finished with six points and three assists.
Trailing 97-94 with 17 seconds left in the game, the Wolves had the ball with a chance to tie or cut the lead to one, but Nikola Pekovic missed what looked like an easy dunk attempt.
Dante Cunningham provided a boost off the bench with 12 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes, but he left the game late in the fourth quarter after rolling his left ankle after landing on Boston’s Jared Sullinger’s foot.
Jared Sullinger was tremendous tonight in the win for Boston. 24 points, 11 boards and 5 assists.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 17, 2013
Martin, who is second on the team averaging 20 points per game, didn’t play because of a knee injury that he blamed on “old-man age,” according to the Star Tribune.
“It doesn’t feel good at all. It’s something I’ve got to get right,” Martin said. “I don’t know. It’s hard to tell. There’s a lot of pain in the knee. It’s a time I’ve got to get it right.”
Robbie Hummel started in place of Martin and scored just two points.
Note: The Wolves set a season high with 45 bench points.
