After a solid win over the Phoenix Suns last night, the Minnesota Timberwolves were back in the Mayo Clinic Practice Facility working on their craft this morning.
Six Minnesota players scored in double-digits last night, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins leading the way with a combined 59 points and 15 rebounds.
“We’re confident in Andrew. (He) works on his game, works on his shot, he’s shooting the 3-ball well the last two months of the season,” Wolves interim coach Sam Mitchell said. “We just think that if he continues to work, it’s going to get better.”
Physically outmatched in most games, Minnesota did a great job hustling to the ball last evening and out-rebounded the Suns, 41-36.
“We need everybody on the glass,” Mitchell said. “We’re not big anyway, so it’s been the same thing all year, we’ve talked about that all year, we have to have everybody pitch in and help.”
Wiggins was one of many players who exerted a lot of energy last night and it showed in the box score. The 21-year-old out of Kansas University posted a career high in free throws made, 17, and free throws attempted, 21, in a game.
“I’ve never in my time seen 21 free throws in a game for a person, but he attacks the basket so well that he draws that attention and that puts pressure on the defense,” Towns said. “That stat is just a testament of how great of a slasher he really is.”
Another T-Wolf who put on a great performance last night was Ricky Rubio. Minnesota’s starting point guard finished the night with 17 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and three steals.
“He’s our captain,” Towns said. “We just go out there and listen to him. We’re all leaders on the court but especially him, and with him as our point guard with him having most of the vocal responsibility of telling us where he wants us to be and everything; he’s doing a great job of it. He does it so well that it sometimes seems easy for him.”
The Wolves will take on the 46-27 Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
