Minnesota made it a little more difficult than it had to be, but in the end the young Wolves pulled out the victory over the Phoenix Suns, 121-116.
Up by 20 to go with a minute in the 3rd quarter, Phoenix buckled down defensively and went on a 23-4 run to make it a close ball game.
In the end, however, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Ricky Rubio were too much for the Suns to handle, as the trio combined for 76 points, 22 rebounds and 18 assists.
Phoenix relied on their backcourt to make the contest competitive as both Devin Booker and Brandon Knight put up 30-points a piece.
Numbers Game:
21: Wiggins had a career high in free-throw attempts this evening, going to the charity stripe this many times. Last year’s first overall draft pick also made a career-high 17 free throws.
99: The Timberwolves were on fire from the field through three quarters and scored this many points in just 36 minutes of action. Minnesota finished the night making 50.6 percent of their shots and 80 percent of their free throws.
34: Phoenix apparently didn’t get the ‘play defense with your feet’ memo before the game, as the Suns committed this many personal fouls compared to Minnesota’s 18. Due to their aggressiveness throughout the game, the Timberwolves shot 40 free throws, while the suns only attempted 23.
Leader of the Pack: Karl-Anthony Towns
This year’s first overall selection in the NBA draft had himself a game to remember, scoring 27 points (10-for-18), grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out five assists and stealing the ball twice.
Highlight of the Night:
Late in the first quarter Mr. Towns brought everyone to their feet, including some fans watching at home. With a brilliant hesitation jab-step, Towns got past Jon Leuer and flushed home a huge And-1 dunk on Teletovic.
Up Next:
The Wolves will stay at home in their next matchup on Wednesday night as they take on the Los Angeles Clippers at 7:00 p.m. Make sure to tune-in to the action on either Fox Sports North or 830 WCCO radio.