Butler scores 26 to lead Timberwolves past Thunder 104-88

By BRIAN HALL
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Taj Gibson and his teammates knew the Minnesota Timberwolves' four-game homestand was going to be tough.

After all, New Orleans, Cleveland, Oklahoma City and New York were coming to town. Well, three games in, Minnesota has answered the challenge and demonstrated how much it has grown this season.

Jimmy Butler scored 26 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had eight assists for the Timberwolves in a 104-88 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

"We were shaking our heads and just hoping that we can do well," Gibson said. "But the way we've been playing, we have a lot of confidence."

Andrew Wiggins added 19 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 12 rebounds as Minnesota pulled away in the second half to win its third game in a row and 10th in its last 13 overall.

Taking the season series 3-1 from division foe Oklahoma City capped a stretch in which the Timberwolves beat New Orleans by 18 points and Cleveland by 28. Minnesota led by at least 34 in each of those games.

Wednesday proved to be a bit tougher against the physical Thunder, but the Wolves outscored Oklahoma City 29-19 in the third and led by as many as 16 in the fourth.

"Guess we're, I don't know, growing a little bit," Butler said. "For us to go out there and guard the way we did, do what we talked about in shootaround and the day before in practice, it's huge for us. We're growing as a unit."

Russell Westbrook had 38 points and 10 rebounds, but the rest of the Thunder had a tough time shooting. Westbrook was 15 of 23 from the field, while his teammates were 17 of 56 (30.3 percent).

Carmelo Anthony scored 15 points on 5-of-19 shooting, while Paul George finished 5 of 14 for 13 points for Oklahoma City, which has lost five of seven.

"We've got to lock in and get a win," Westbrook said. "That's all I can say."

George scored just two points in the first half.

"We were getting good looks," George said. "I thought we got shots that we'd been shooting all season. A lot of catch-and-shoot opportunities. It's like that. I think personally, I should've tried to play around the basket a little more, just to get something early, see the ball go down and work my way up."

The Thunder shot 28.6 percent in the third quarter (6 of 21). Meanwhile, the Wolves hit 62.5 percent (10 of 16) to take control.

NOT CLOSE THIS TIME

The first three games between the teams were decided by a combined nine-point margin. Minnesota won the first two games by a total of five points. Oklahoma City came back with a four-point win at home on Dec. 1 as George scored 36 points.

"I think both teams are probably a lot different today than when we faced all the way back in the beginning of December," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "I think maybe early in the year, they were maybe not as great defensively and now they're getting better. I thought tonight they played well."

TIP-INS

Thunder: G Andre Roberson missed his sixth straight game with left patellar tendinitis and coach Billy Donovan said he would also miss Saturday's game. ... Oklahoma City tied a season high with 20 turnovers. ... In the first three meetings, Thunder C Steven Adams was 27 of 33 from the field for a combined 64 points. He scored eight on 2-of-5 shooting on Wednesday.

Timberwolves: Minnesota held its opponent under 100 points for the seventh straight game. The last time the Wolves have held teams under 100 in seven consecutive games was Jan. 5-Feb. 8, 2007. ... Minnesota had its fifth consecutive sellout, the first time for the franchise since March 21-April 4, 2004. The Wolves won their sixth straight home game, the longest streak since the team won 14 in a row from Dec. 16, 2003-Feb. 6, 2004.

TEAGUE RETURNS

Minnesota point guard Jeff Teague returned after missing seven games with a sprained MCL in his left knee. Teague played 26 minutes and scored eight points with four rebounds and three assists.

Including a four-game absence for a sore right Achilles, Teague has missed 11 games this season. The Wolves are 6-5 without Teague and 20-11 with him in the lineup.

In his first season in Minnesota, Teague entered the night averaging 13.4 points and a team-high 7.3 assists per game.

UP NEXT

Thunder: Play at Charlotte on Saturday.

Timberwolves: Host the New York Knicks on Friday.

Butler scores 26 to lead Timberwolves past Thunder 104-88

By BRIAN HALL
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Taj Gibson and his teammates knew the Minnesota Timberwolves' four-game homestand was going to be tough.

After all, New Orleans, Cleveland, Oklahoma City and New York were coming to town. Well, three games in, Minnesota has answered the challenge and demonstrated how much it has grown this season.

Jimmy Butler scored 26 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had eight assists for the Timberwolves in a 104-88 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

"We were shaking our heads and just hoping that we can do well," Gibson said. "But the way we've been playing, we have a lot of confidence."

Andrew Wiggins added 19 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 12 rebounds as Minnesota pulled away in the second half to win its third game in a row and 10th in its last 13 overall.

Taking the season series 3-1 from division foe Oklahoma City capped a stretch in which the Timberwolves beat New Orleans by 18 points and Cleveland by 28. Minnesota led by at least 34 in each of those games.

Wednesday proved to be a bit tougher against the physical Thunder, but the Wolves outscored Oklahoma City 29-19 in the third and led by as many as 16 in the fourth.

"Guess we're, I don't know, growing a little bit," Butler said. "For us to go out there and guard the way we did, do what we talked about in shootaround and the day before in practice, it's huge for us. We're growing as a unit."

Russell Westbrook had 38 points and 10 rebounds, but the rest of the Thunder had a tough time shooting. Westbrook was 15 of 23 from the field, while his teammates were 17 of 56 (30.3 percent).

Carmelo Anthony scored 15 points on 5-of-19 shooting, while Paul George finished 5 of 14 for 13 points for Oklahoma City, which has lost five of seven.

"We've got to lock in and get a win," Westbrook said. "That's all I can say."

George scored just two points in the first half.

"We were getting good looks," George said. "I thought we got shots that we'd been shooting all season. A lot of catch-and-shoot opportunities. It's like that. I think personally, I should've tried to play around the basket a little more, just to get something early, see the ball go down and work my way up."

The Thunder shot 28.6 percent in the third quarter (6 of 21). Meanwhile, the Wolves hit 62.5 percent (10 of 16) to take control.

NOT CLOSE THIS TIME

The first three games between the teams were decided by a combined nine-point margin. Minnesota won the first two games by a total of five points. Oklahoma City came back with a four-point win at home on Dec. 1 as George scored 36 points.

"I think both teams are probably a lot different today than when we faced all the way back in the beginning of December," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "I think maybe early in the year, they were maybe not as great defensively and now they're getting better. I thought tonight they played well."

TIP-INS

Thunder: G Andre Roberson missed his sixth straight game with left patellar tendinitis and coach Billy Donovan said he would also miss Saturday's game. ... Oklahoma City tied a season high with 20 turnovers. ... In the first three meetings, Thunder C Steven Adams was 27 of 33 from the field for a combined 64 points. He scored eight on 2-of-5 shooting on Wednesday.

Timberwolves: Minnesota held its opponent under 100 points for the seventh straight game. The last time the Wolves have held teams under 100 in seven consecutive games was Jan. 5-Feb. 8, 2007. ... Minnesota had its fifth consecutive sellout, the first time for the franchise since March 21-April 4, 2004. The Wolves won their sixth straight home game, the longest streak since the team won 14 in a row from Dec. 16, 2003-Feb. 6, 2004.

TEAGUE RETURNS

Minnesota point guard Jeff Teague returned after missing seven games with a sprained MCL in his left knee. Teague played 26 minutes and scored eight points with four rebounds and three assists.

Including a four-game absence for a sore right Achilles, Teague has missed 11 games this season. The Wolves are 6-5 without Teague and 20-11 with him in the lineup.

In his first season in Minnesota, Teague entered the night averaging 13.4 points and a team-high 7.3 assists per game.

UP NEXT

Thunder: Play at Charlotte on Saturday.

Timberwolves: Host the New York Knicks on Friday.

Timberwolves beat Lakers 121-104 for first Christmas win

By DAN GREENSPAN
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves got their first-ever Christmas victory, and with the way things are coming together, it could be the first of many showcase wins.

Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 10 rebounds and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 121-104 on Monday night.

"I'm happy to be part of history for the franchise, but this won't be the first and the only one that we ever win," Towns said. "We'll have a lot more opportunities I'm banking on to do this again and again and again."

Former Southern California standout Taj Gibson had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have won four straight. Jamal Crawford added 19 points off the bench.

Lakers rookie Kyle Kuzma scored 31 points, joining LeBron James in 2003 as the only first-year players to score at least 30 points on Christmas Day in the last 30 seasons.

Jordan Clarkson had 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and Julius Randle had 16 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers, who have lost three in a row and six of seven.

Minnesota pulled away when Towns and Crawford combined to score all 16 points during a 16-1 run after Randle put Los Angeles up 84-83 with 11:14 to play.

The Lakers cut the deficit to 105-99 with 4:30 remaining, but Gibson knocked down a hook shot and 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to restore a double-digit lead.

"He just has a knack of coming up with big plays when you need it the most," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said. "What he has brought to the team and what Jimmy has brought to the team has really changed everything for us."

While the Timberwolves have been able to jumpstart their development with the addition of Butler, Gibson and Crawford, the Lakers showed their potential, even without Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball. Ball sprained his left shoulder against Portland on Saturday, and Ingram missed his second straight game with quad injuries.

Kuzma scored 10 of the Lakers' first 14 points, and kept a short-handed bunch in the mix. The Timberwolves led by 10 with 7:42 left in the second quarter, but the Lakers closed the half on a 22-13 run. Kuzma hit a 3 with 1:07 left to give Los Angeles its first lead before Butler hit a spinning layup to put Minnesota in front 53-52 at the break.

"I like what he's about, how he likes to compete," Lakers coach Luke Walton said of Kuzma, who is averaging 30 points during his last five games. "For us and the way we want to play, we want it to come organically to him, so we're not just running plays for him every time."

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Towns had 18 points in the second half. ... F Nemanja Bjelica had one point and two rebounds in six minutes after missing 15 games with a sprained left foot.

Lakers: Los Angeles missed out on a chance to break a tie with the New York Knicks for most wins on Christmas Day, dropping to 22-22. The Lakers played on Christmas Day for the 19th consecutive season.

LOOK INTO THE FUTURE?

Even without Ingram and Ball, the Lakers' youth invited comparisons to where the Timberwolves were last season. Thibodeau understands why the parallels are being made and expects Los Angeles to be even more of a pest as the season goes on.

"I've watched their Warrior games, they're all hard-fought games," Thibodeau said. "I think the future is bright, and when you have young guys it takes a little bit of time. A big part of learning is the trial and error of going through games."

SPEED IT UP

Despite barbs from analyst Charles Barkley and the TNT crew about their methodical tempo on offense, the Timberwolves scored 38 points in the fourth quarter.

"We pushed the pace. They were really pushing their pace on us early on and we weren't playing with the energy that we needed," Towns said.

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Host Memphis on Wednesday night.

Lakers: Host Denver on Wednesday night.

Grizzlies top Wolves, snap 11-game skid

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- On Saturday night in Cleveland, the Memphis Grizzlies had rallied in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to upset the Cavaliers. Though they lost that game and their losing streak stretched to 11 games, some of the momentum they created carried over to Monday night's game at FedExForum.

"I kinda felt it (a win) coming after that Cleveland game," said Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans, who finished with 16 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three blocks as Memphis ended its skid with a 95-92 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. "We talked about it after the game. That team was in the finals and if we can do that against them ..."

Then a victory would finally come. But having not won since Nov. 7 at Portland, it would not come easily. Minnesota shooting guard Jimmy Butler, who had a game-high 30 points, launched an off-balance 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have tied the game, but the shot was off target.

Memphis starting point guard Mike Conley (sore Achilles) was on the bench in street clothes, but was an animated cheerleader. Postgame he summed up his feelings with a two-word tweet: "Thank God."

On the last play, Memphis center Marc Gasol (21 points, seven rebounds and five assists) switched with guard Andrew Harrison as the Timberwolves ran a pick-and-roll. Harrison briefly had to guard center Karl-Anthony Towns (game-high 11 rebounds and seven points) but then had Butler when the ball came back to him.

"Kinda made him take a tough shot," said Harrison, who finished with eight points. "I'm happy he missed."

Gasol was downright giddy, hugging a local sideline TV reporter and saying, "We won" and letting loose an expletive.

Butler, who also had five assists and four steals, was asked if he got a good look: "I think every shot I take is a good look."

Butler was 11 of 21 from the floor but Towns, who averages right at 20 points a game, only attempted six shots and made two. He did have three assists.

"The plan going in was to try to not let him play," said Grizzlies interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff. "We wanted to limit his touches as much as we possibly could."

Memphis (8-15) prevailed for the first time under Bickerstaff. The previous head coach, David Fizdale, was fired last week when the losing streak was at eight games.

The streak has been difficult and forward JaMychal Green, who gave the Grizzlies 14 points and nine rebounds, said the team stayed together better Monday night than it has during some other games.

"We be down some days," he said of team morale. "But we did a great tonight of not fading away from one another."

The Grizzlies carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter and neither team led by more than one possession in the final 8:41 of game time. Evans hit two free throws with 12.7 seconds left to give the Grizzlies a three-point cushion before Butler missed his shot on the game's last possession.

"Our defense in the first half hurt us badly," said Minnesota coach Thom Thibodeau. "It was a little better in the second half."

Said Butler: "I don't think we got to loose balls. They're a hard-playing team."

Minnesota (14-11) got 14 points from forward Taj Gibson and 12 each from forward Andrew Wiggins and guard Jeff Teague.

The Timberwolves shot 44.3 percent from the floor and went 4 of 17 (23.5 percent) from 3-point range. Memphis shot 47.2 percent from the field while going 6 of 21 (28.6 percent) from long distance.

The Grizzlies had a 24-8 edge on fast-break points and owned a 41-34 rebounding edge.

NOTES: Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau only used eight players Sunday in a 112-106 home victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the first night of a back-to-back set. Every starter played at least 35 minutes. Coming into the Monday game F Andrew Wiggins was tied for third in the NBA in minutes per game at 37.0, and SG Jimmy Butler was seventh at 36.5. He used only eight plays at Memphis, too. Butler played 40 minutes against the Grizzlies. Asked if fatigue was a factor, he said: "Does it matter?" ... Since J.B. Bickerstaff took over as head coach of the Grizzlies, guard Andrew Harrison has made 13 of 22 shots from the field (59.1 percent) and 5 of 6 from 3-point range (83.3 percent) in four games. ... The Memphis victory snapped an eight-game home losing streak.

Howard's huge game lifts Hornets over Timberwolves, 118-102

By STEVE REED
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Dwight Howard is doing anything he can to eliminate the pressure he feels shooting free throws — even if that means thinking about the Unabomber.

Howard said he let his mind wander Monday night to a recent show he’s been watching on Netflix about the hunt for the Unabomber. The big man went 9 of 14 at the foul line and finished with 25 points and 20 rebounds in the Charlotte Hornets’ 118-102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“I guess it works,” Howard said. “I just stay away from my own brain.”

Free throw shooting has been an adventure for Howard this season. He was making only 40.3 percent coming into the game, but shot 6 of 10 in the fourth quarter when the Timberwolves were intentionally fouling him in an attempt to erase a double-digit deficit.

Howard said he shoots about 200 foul shots every day and swears he makes more than 90 percent of them on a consistent basis in practice.

But he added that he tends to freeze up during games — even after 13 seasons in the NBA — and worries about being taken out down the stretch because of his failure to convert them.

He said now he is taking a “who cares” approach.

“That’s what I have been focusing on is not being so tense at the line,” Howard said. “I’m so passionate in the game that when I step up to the line my emotions are still running so high that I don’t know how to bring my shoulders down. ... I have to deflate my shoulders and make my shots.”

Howard, acquired in an offseason trade from Atlanta, was 8 for 10 from the field and added four blocks. It was his 49th 20-20 game, the most among active NBA players.

He outplayed Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds as Minnesota lost on back-to-back nights.

“He controlled the paint at both ends of the floor, so he was a force in the paint on offense and his pick-and-roll defense,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “His team defense was terrific. He controlled the game.”

Said Timberwolves forward Taj Gibson: “We tried to get a body on him but he was real active tonight. We tried to match it, but their whole group collectively did well moving the ball and had us strung out.”

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Andrew Wiggins got a technical foul after disputing a charge call against him in the third quarter.

Hornets: Came in having committed the fewest turnovers in the league but gave the ball away 11 times in the first half. ... Howard was charged with a flagrant foul when he threw a high elbow toward the upper body of Towns in the third quarter.

KAMINSKY STEPS UP

Charlotte forward Frank Kaminsky provided a huge spark off the bench, scoring nine of his 24 points in the fourth quarter. He shot 9 of 15 overall, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc.

The Hornets led by four entering the fourth before Kaminsky took over and helped build a double-digit advantage with a pair of 3-pointers.

“The ball was going in,” Kaminsky said. “Just wanted to attack. We’ve had some lulls in energy in the second half so I just want to come out and play with some heart.”

BALL WON’T FALL

The Timberwolves shot 6 of 27 from 3-point range, including 1 of 14 in the first half.

Jamal Crawford led Minnesota with 19 points, and Jeff Teague added 18. Wiggins struggled from the field, going 5 of 14 and finishing with 11 points.

Playing its third game in four nights might have contributed to Minnesota’s poor shooting.

“You don’t ever want to make excuses and obviously we have work to do and we’re still a work in progress,” Crawford said. “We’re a long way from being where we will be, but I think that’s a good thing. We have something to work toward.”

ZELLER LAUNCHES ONE

Cody Zeller capped the scoring with a 3-pointer from the top of the key — his first attempt of the season.

“I think I’m leading the league in 3-point percentage,” Zeller joked.

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

Hornets: Host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

Minnesota hangs on in overtime, tops Miami 125-122

By TIM REYNOLDS
Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — It’s never been easy for Andrew Wiggins in Miami, and Monday was no exception.

That’s what made the win even sweeter.

Jeff Teague scored 23 points, Wiggins scored 22 — 13 of them coming after halftime, including a pair of huge baskets late in regulation — and the Minnesota Timberwolves scored the first six points of overtime before holding on to beat the Miami Heat 125-122.

“We have a lot of people who know how to win, know how to close out games,” Wiggins said.

That was evident. The Timberwolves never trailed in the final 11 1/2 minutes, yet still needed to see Dion Waiters’ 35-footer as time expired clang helplessly off the rim before they could escape.

“We’ve got some guys on this team that can really play,” Teague said. “Down the stretch, Wig was huge.”

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who got 16 from Jimmy Butler and 13 from Jamal Crawford.

Waiters tied a career-high by scoring 33 for Miami, 14 of those coming in the fourth quarter including a layup that sent the game to overtime. But the Heat dropped their third straight — all at home.

“It doesn’t mean (anything) if we don’t get the win,” Waiters said.

Kelly Olynyk scored 23 points and Goran Dragic added 18 for Miami — which was again without center Hassan Whiteside, out for a fifth consecutive game with a bruised left knee. Bam Adebayo started again in his place and had the best game of his rookie season, finishing with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

“It was great to see,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the rookie’s stat line, which came against a star in Towns.

Wiggins got to the line with 43 seconds left after missing a dunk on a play where Justise Winslow was called for a foul that left the Heat arguing otherwise — but replays suggested was indeed correct. He made both free throws to put Minnesota up by four, and the Heat would eventually get back within one on a 3-pointer by Waiters with 5.1 seconds left.

Teague made a pair of free throws, and Miami’s desperation heave from Waiters was off.

“There’s a lot of work for us to do defensively,” Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Wiggins had both Minnesota baskets in the final 1:01 of regulation, a putback of his own miss and an emphatic dunk for a four-point lead. He’s had some good scoring games against the Heat — at least 22 in four of seven contests — but he’s earned it all. After shooting 7 for 23 Monday, he’s now 46 for 125 (36.8 percent) against the Heat.

He had a chance to put the Timberwolves up four again with 12 seconds left in regulation, but missed a layup. Winslow got the rebound for Miami and on the ensuing possession Waiters blew past Butler for a layup to tie it at 110.

Minnesota scored the next six, and found a way from there.

“We did things necessary to win at the end,” Thibodeau said.

TIP INS

Timberwolves: Minnesota’s first six 3-pointers came from six different players. ... Towns took only 11 shots from the floor, perhaps a bit of a surprise since Miami was without Whiteside. ... The Timberwolves can get their first three-game winning streak since January with a win on Wednesday.

Heat: Miami missed more free throws in the first quarter (three) than in its two previous games combined (two). ... Okaro White gave the Heat a big boost late in the third, scoring five points on a putback dunk and 3-pointer that cut Minnesota’s six-point lead to one. ... Miami was cold from 3-point range again, shooting 7 for 27 from beyond the arc.

DRAGIC’S STARTS

Dragic came out sizzling, and that’s been a trend. He was 5 for 5 in the first quarter, the second time he’s done that in the last three games. Dragic is shooting 20 for 29 (69 percent) in first quarters this season, and 16 for 20 (80 percent) in the opening periods of his last four games.

FREE THROWS

Minnesota was 32 for 35 from the line, a huge factor in the game. Miami was 17 for 25.

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Visit New Orleans on Wednesday, the finale of a two-game trip.

Heat: Host Chicago on Wednesday, ending a six-game homestand.

Harris scores 34, Pistons rout Timberwolves 122-101

By DAVE HOGG
Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy has been waiting for his team to start playing better in transition.

Against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit did everything he wanted and more.

The Pistons outscored the Minnesota Timberwolves 24-0 in fast-break points on their way to an easy 122-101 victory.

“Counting the playoffs, I’ve coached something like 900 games in this league, so I can’t remember all of them,” he said. “I might have seen a disparity like that before, but it is certainly rare.”

The Pistons forced 14 turnovers, matching their season-low, but took advantage of the lethargic Timberwolves off missed shots. Andre Drummond had 15 rebounds for the Pistons, who pulled down 83 percent of Minnesota’s misses.

“We’re getting better defensively, Andre makes us a great rebounding team and our point guards are moving the ball,” Van Gundy said. “We want to run, and those are the things that made it possible.”

Tobias Harris matched a career high with 34 points, and Detroit had six players score in double figures. Ish Smith had 13 of Detroit’s season-high 32 assists.

“Playing team basketball and getting into transition are really important for us,” said Avery Bradley, who scored 20 points. “We were able to get stops and get out for easy baskets tonight.”

Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, while Andrew Wiggins added 21. The Timberwolves lost for the second time in two nights.

“Things change very quickly in this league,” Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. “You can be going good, but if you don’t come with an edge every night, you’re going to get knocked on your butt.”

The Pistons trailed by 21 in the first half of their last two games and allowed Minnesota to score the first nine points Wednesday. This time, they stayed in the game and took the lead early in the second quarter.

Van Gundy started to talk about the poor start, but shook his head.

“We just played 45 minutes of outstanding basketball,” he said. “I’m not going to worry about the first three.”

Detroit led 63-44 at halftime after a 40-point second quarter. Harris had 16 points in the half, while Drummond had 10 rebounds.

Minnesota committed six fouls in the first three minutes of the third, allowing the Pistons to stay in control from the free-throw line.

“We need to understand that every player in the league is here for a reason, and every team can beat you,” Taj Gibson said. “I think after we beat Oklahoma City on Sunday, we relaxed a little. We have to be better than that.”

Detroit led 91-73 at the end of the quarter and wasn’t challenged in a sloppy final 12 minutes.

TIP INS

Timberwolves: Jimmy Butler missed his second straight game with an upper respiratory infection. ... The Timberwolves have lost five in a row to Detroit.

Pistons: Drummond grabbed his 5,000th career rebound in the first quarter, making him the sixth Pistons player to reach that total. ... Stanley Johnson’s first-quarter layup was his first made field goal at Little Caesars Arena after a 0-for-15 start.

HARRIS’ HOT STREAK

Harris has four career games with more than 30 points, with two of them coming in Detroit’s last three games. He’s averaging 23.2 points in five games this season, well above his career best of 17.1 for the 2014-15 Orlando Magic.

“Tobias was 6-of-9 on 3s tonight, and he obviously isn’t going to do that every night,” Van Gundy said. “But if he’s getting good looks, we want him to take the shot and we’ll live with the results.”

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Host Oklahoma City on Friday night.

Pistons: Visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night to start a three-game West Coast trip.

Wiggins’ heave banks in, leads Timberwolves past Thunder

By CLIFF BRUNT
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Andrew Wiggins didn’t have time to get near the basket for a final shot.

Just inside halfcourt was close enough.

Wiggins’ desperation heave banked in as time expired to give the Minnesota Timberwolves a 115-113 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.

“I could see how much time was left,” Wiggins said. “I got as close as I could and let it go.”

Carmelo Anthony had hit a 3-pointer with about five seconds left to give the Thunder the lead. The Timberwolves were out of timeouts, so they had to scramble. Taj Gibson inbounded to Wiggins, who rushed up the court and got free with help from a crushing pick by Karl-Anthony Towns before pulling up for the winner.

“Everything worked perfectly,” Wiggins said. “Taj found me. KAT had a great screen. When it left my hands, the release felt amazing.”

Gibson said the Timberwolves practice those kinds of plays regularly.

“We practice it six times in practice every day,” Gibson said. “Once I got the ball, my job is to take the ball out, be patient, look for the open man, look for the guy running the baseline. I was trying to get Jeff (Teague), but Wig was wide open. KAT did what he was supposed to do, backscreen, and the rest is history.”

Thunder forward Paul George got knocked down on Towns’ screen, and it freed up Wiggins.

“I did see Paul go down, but I didn’t have a great look to see how he went down and why,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “If it was an illegal screen, the officials will deal with that stuff. For me it’s about focusing on our team and what we have to do and what we could have done differently.”

Wiggins scored 27 points and Towns had 27 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota (2-1).

Russell Westbrook scored 15 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter for the Thunder (1-2), who were coming off a loss at Utah on Saturday night. Anthony scored 23 points and Steven Adams had 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Minnesota led 61-54 at halftime behind 13 points from Towns and 10 from Wiggins. Adams scored 14 points before the break. The Timberwolves fought off several bursts by the Thunder and led 88-75 at the end of the third quarter.

The Thunder opened the fourth quarter with a five-point run that led to a Minnesota timeout. Oklahoma City continued the surge and got the crowd back into the game. A three-point play by Anthony cut Minnesota’s lead to 90-87 as Westbrook returned to the game from a rest.

Adams converted a three-point play to cut Minnesota’s lead to 106-105 with 1:50 to go, and a 3-pointer by Westbrook tied the game at 110.

Minnesota hung tough, and Wiggins bailed out the Timberwolves.

“You take them any way you can get them,” Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Great shot by a great player.”

___

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Gibson, who started for the Thunder at the end of last season, had 11 points and 10 rebounds. ... Shot 57 percent in the first quarter to lead 28-23. ... Minnesota beat Utah at home on Friday. ... Jeff Teague scored 19 points and Jimmy Butler added 15.

Thunder: Adams had eight points on 4-for-5 shooting in the first quarter. ... Raymond Felton and Jerami Grant each scored 12 points.

QUOTABLE

Towns on Wiggins’ shot and the final sequence: “Wig is amazing. He’s been hitting that shot, weirdly enough, the whole offseason in practice. The one thing that came through my mind if I didn’t catch it was to set a screen for somebody and just try to get someone one. I’m glad Wig was able to capitalize on it. We were able to escape with a win, especially with me not playing as well as I like to.”

GEORGE’S STRUGGLES

George has made just 23 of 62 shots this season. He scored 14 points on 6-for-20 shooting against the Timberwolves.

“I thought Paul got some really good looks, and it was just one of those nights where the ball didn’t go in, but he impacted the game other ways defensively,” Donovan said. “I’m not worried about him shooting because he’s such an elite shooter.”

UP NEXT:

Timberwolves: Host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.

Thunder: George will play against the team he was traded from on Wednesday when the Thunder host the Indiana Pacers.

Timberwolves acquire All-Star Butler from Bulls

Jimmy Butler is being reunited with Tom Thibodeau.

Moments before the Los Angeles Lakers made Lonzo Ball the second pick of Thursday's NBA draft, multiple outlets reported Butler was going to be dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the trade later in the evening.

Butler was dealt for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the rights to Lauri Markkanen. Also going to Minnesota are the rights to Justin Patton, who was picked at No. 16 by the Bulls.

Butler was the 30th overall pick by the Bulls in 2011 out of Marquette. He averaged a career-high 23.9 points last season as the Bulls were 41-41 and qualified for the postseason as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Thibodeau coached Butler from 2011 to 2015 before being fired. He joined the Timberwolves last season with the dual title of coach and head of basketball operations.

Last season, the teams worked on a potential deal for Butler, but talks collapsed based on the belief that Chicago's demands were too high. Instead, the Bulls dealt Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks for Robin Lopez and hoped to regain some of the success they experienced in Thibodeau's tenure.

By obtaining Butler, the Timberwolves are taking on the final three seasons of the $95 million deal he signed after the 2014-15 season. They had approximately $24 million available on their salary cap after waiving injured center Nikola Pekovic on Tuesday.

LaVine is coming off a torn ACL but was showing steady improvement. Before getting hurt, LaVine shot 46 percent and averaged a career-high 18.9 points and shooting a career-best 45.9 percent.

Since entering the league as Minnesota's first-round pick from UCLA in 2014, LaVine has averaged 13.7 points per game and shot 44.5 percent.

Dunn was Minnesota's first-round pick last season and averaged 3.8 points on 37.7 percent shooting in 78 games.

Markanen averaged 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in his only season at Arizona. The 7-footer became the highest-ever draft pick from Finland.

Patton averaged 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds. The 7-footer shot 57.3 percent and was the Big East freshman of the year.

Oladipo lifts Russ-less Thunder over Wolves, 100-98

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) With Russell Westbrook sitting out for the first time this season, Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said he just wanted to see his young role players play well without the center of the Thunder universe on the floor.

Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and the rest of the Russ-less Thunder did him one better.

Oladipo scored 20 points and hit a jumper with 6.3 seconds to play to lift the Thunder to a 100-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.

"Because he was out tonight I was just trying to take a little bit of that role, that leadership role and lead by example and lead with my mouth as well," Oladipo said. "It was good. It was a good experience for everybody, including myself."

Oladipo also had nine rebounds and six assists, and the Thunder outrebounded Minnesota 54-35. Starters Taj Gibson and Andre Roberson also sat out as the Thunder prepare for a first-round series against Houston. Sabonis added 19 points and nine rebounds.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Andrew Wiggins overcame a 1-for-11 start to finish with 18 points for the Minnesota. But the Timberwolves again struggled to get stops down the stretch and Wiggins missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer as they lost their fifth straight game.

"Whatever your circumstances are, you've got to be ready to go," Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. "That's the way it is. So we had a long road trip, we come home and we've got to be ready."

After consulting with Donovan and the team's medical staff, Westbrook made the decision to rest for the first time this season. He was one of just six players in the league to have started every game. But after a break-neck year in which he broke Oscar Robertson's record for most triple-doubles in a season and helped the Thunder turn the page after Kevin Durant left for Golden State, the most relentless player in the league finally took a night off.

Fellow starters Gibson and Roberson also took the night off, but the rest of the team took it to the Wolves in the first half. A 19-2 run in the first quarter helped OKC build a 22-point lead.

After unveiling a new logo at halftime, Minnesota outscored Oklahoma City 29-15 in the third quarter to jump back in front.

"We had the lead," Thibodeau said. "All we had to do was get stops."

Oladipo's 3-pointer with 2:40 to go gave the Thunder a 97-93 lead, but Minnesota responded with five straight points, including Gorgui Dieng's corner jumper to go up 98-97 with 44 seconds to play. But Oladipo responded with his 21-footer, and Westbrook was the first one off the bench to greet him as the Thunder celebrated a confidence-building win.

"Never mind the outcome, but can we do the things that we know what we're going to need to do once the playoffs do start?" Donovan said. "Because if we can't do them now, we can't expect them to do it in the playoffs."

TIP-INS

Thunder: Donovan said he would have further discussion with Westbrook before deciding if he will play in the regular-season finale at home on Wednesday against Denver. ... The Thunder also were playing without Doug McDermott (left knee soreness). ... Norris Cole had 12 points off the bench.

Timberwolves: Towns surpassed Kevin Love in the first quarter to set a franchise record for points in a season. ... The Wolves announced a crowd of 19,356, the first sellout of a home finale since 1998. ... Dieng had 19 points and eight rebounds.

ABRINES RETURNS

Thunder sharpshooter Alex Abrines missed the previous three games with a sprained left knee, but was sharp in his return on Tuesday night. He hit his first two 3s and finished with six points in 16 minutes.

Abrines said it was important for him to get a couple of games under his belt before the playoffs start.

"I need some rhythm," he said before the game.

UP NEXT

Thunder: Oklahoma City heads back home for one final regular-season game against Denver on Wednesday night.

Timberwolves: Minnesota flies to Houston to finish its season on Wednesday night.

Hayward scores 39, leads Jazz to 120-113 win over Wolves

By KAREEM COPELAND
AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Moments like Friday night are what Gordon Hayward envisioned last summer when he remade his body and pushed his talents to an All-Star level. And when outsiders question if Hayward can be a true No. 1 option on a contending team, the Utah Jazz front office can point to outings like that.

Hayward scored a career-high 39 points and the Jazz rallied from an 11-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-113.

The Jazz have won a season-best eight consecutive games at home and clinched the Northwest Division title for the first time since 2007-08.

"It was fun out there tonight," Hayward said. "In those situations where they really lock in and the game gets down to the wire there, definitely, it's those long days in the summer, two-a-days in the summer. The preparation that you do is what helps you be successful now.

"Definitely, happy that I put in the work."

Hayward and Joe Johnson powered a 40-point third quarter in which the Jazz came from behind and took the lead for good with a 16-7 run. Hayward scored 30 in his second consecutive game and Johnson added 22 off the bench. The pair combined to shoot 8 for 10 from behind the arc.

Every time Minnesota got close in the final minutes, Hayward hit a jumper to extend the lead.

The defensive-minded Jazz shot 60 percent from the field as they were forced to outscore the Timberwolves with the defense lacking.

"We've talked about getting stops and getting stops," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "We weren't able to get stops. So, we had to be able to score on the other end.

"I just felt our team really wanted the win. We just took a little different path to get there. ... Half-empty or half-full. To me, this is half-full with what we were able to do on the offensive end. ... It wasn't just that we scored, it was the way we executed at the end of the game, and Gordon in particular."

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 32 points and 13 rebounds, and Ricky Rubio added 26 points and 12 assists. Andrew Wiggins finished with 25.

The Timberwolves led 60-55 at halftime and were ahead by 11 midway through the second quarter. An 11-4 run punctuated by Kris Dunn's 3-pointer pushed the lead to double digits, but the Jazz answered with a 13-2 stretch to tie things at 51 apiece.

"We showed toughness down the stretch," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. "A play here or there is the difference in winning that game. I think we're growing in terms of toughness but, defensively, we have to make a lot of improvements."

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Minnesota shot 51.4 percent in the first half, but allowed the Jazz to shoot 56.8 percent. ... The 113 points were the most scored against the Jazz this season.

Jazz: George Hill (groin) and Raul Neto (groin) did not play. ... Derrick Favors (knee) returned after missing the last 14 games and scored 13 in 15 minutes. ... Joe Ingles had a career-high eight assists.

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS

The Jazz increased their lead over the Clippers for the No. 4 Western Conference playoff seed to one game. The

BIG KAT

Towns, the reigning Rookie of the Year, was not an All-Star in his sophomore season, but Thibodeau said his star center has improved in every way this season. His points, rebounds, assists and 3-point shooting have all increased.

"He's scoring in so many different ways," Thibodeau said. "Back to the basket, catch-and-shoot, pick-and-roll. In transition, he can handle the ball. Has great touch. Can shoot the 3. Probably hasn't gotten to the line as much as we would like, but I think that will come in time.

"The rebounding has been off the chart all year and the defense is something he continues to work on."

QUOTABLE

"We're playing these games as if we're playing for our lives," Towns said. "We're doing a great job of fighting. It's about competing and about getting better."

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Minnesota travels to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Jazz: Utah travels to face a Portland Trail Blazers team fighting for the last Western Conference playoff spot on Saturday.

Crabbe has 25 points and Blazers beat Minnesota 105-98

By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Allen Crabbe said he just had the feeling that the shots he put up were going to fall.

They did, and nearly all of them were from beyond the arc.

Crabbe had 25 points, including a career-high eight 3-pointers, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-98 Thursday night to snap a two-game losing streak.

There was a span in the fourth quarter where Crabbe scored 10 points in 48 seconds in route to the comeback win.

"You just have that feeling: Everything I threw up there was just going in," he said.

Blazers coach Terry Stotts said simply: "I love seeing a shooter get on a roll like that."

Damian Lillard added 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for Portland, which held onto the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference at 1 1/2 games ahead of Denver with three games to go.

Andrew Wiggins had 36 points for the Timberwolves, who have already been eliminated. Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 16 rebounds.

After trailing by 15 points in the third quarter, Crabbe's running 3-pointer gave the Blazers a 92-89 lead with 8:25 left. Lillard added a layup and Crabbe made another 3 to push the lead to 97-91 while the Timberwolves went cold.

Wiggins' pull-up jumper narrowed it to 99-94 with 2:40 left. Lillard made a pair of free throws with just under a minute to go and the Timberwolves couldn't catch up.

"I thought we did a pretty good job overall with the rebounding and the defense, then we let Crabbe get loose, we got off his body and gave him air space and that was a problem," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said.

It was the third time the teams played in two weeks. On Monday, Towns had 34 points and Minnesota snapped Portland's six-game winning streak with a 110-109 home victory.

The game at the Target Center was originally scheduled to be played on March 6, but condensation on the court forced it to be postponed - the reason for the quirky schedule between the two teams. The Blazers beat the Timberwolves 112-100 on March 25 in Portland.

It was the fourth game for Portland without big man Jusuf Nurkic, who sparked the team after coming over in a trade from Denver at the deadline. He will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a fractured right leg but was out on the court putting up practice shots about 90 minutes before tip on Thursday.

Minnesota outscored the Blazers 34-20 in the first quarter, led by Ricky Rubio with 13 points.

Portland struggled from the field throughout the first half and couldn't close the gap. The Timberwolves led 61-53 at the break, led by Wiggins with 21.

Minnesota extended the lead to 70-55 in the third quarter on Brandon Rush's dunk.

Portland rallied to get within 72-65 on Lillard's layup. Eric Turner got the Blazers closer with a layup before CJ McCollum hit on a 3 that cut Minnesota's lead to 72-70. Noah Vonleh made a pair of free throws to tie it and cap a 17-2 Portland run.

The Blazers pulled close again with 9:13 left when Crabbe's 3-pointer and free throw narrowed it to 87-86. Portland finally went ahead on another 3 by Crabbe.

The free throw was Crabbe's only point that didn't come from a 3-pointer.

"I hit the first couple ones, and it just felt good tonight, man," Crabbe said.

The Blazers outscored Minnesota 25-11 in the fourth quarter.

Stotts said that of course he'd like to have already sewn up a spot in the playoffs, but this time of year is exciting for the league.

"It's fun to be a part of it. You look at the East with three or four teams playing for a spot," Stotts said. "It's a fun time of year."

TIP INS

Timberwolves: Even though the Timberwolves have been eliminated, Thibodeau said the team was taking steps in the right direction. "You have to build a foundation, and you have to do it step by step," he said before the game. It was Towns' 58th double-double this season.

Trail Blazers: Al-Farouq Aminu had his sixth straight game scoring in double digits, a career high. He finished with 15 points.

MORE CRABBE: He was a 3-pointer shy of the franchise record for the most 3-pointers off the bench, set by Nicolas Batum with nine in a game against Denver in early 2012.

"We were aware of him. He's a good player, a really good shooter," Wiggins said. "We've just got to find him in transition."

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: At Utah on Friday night.

Trail Blazers: Host Utah on Saturday night.

Wolves look to hurt Warriors' quest for top seed

Stats, LLC

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Having completed one of the most impressive four-game stretches in NBA history, the Golden State Warriors begin the countdown to the postseason Tuesday night when they entertain the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Warriors (63-14) still have work to do over the final five games of the regular season in order to wrap up the best record in the NBA and its reward -- home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Golden State's magic number is three -- any combination of three Warriors wins and/or San Antonio Spurs losses would clinch the prestigious distinction. The Spurs (59-17) host the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

The Warriors have won 11 in a row, including five straight over Memphis, the Houston Rockets (twice), San Antonio and the Washington Wizards in an eight-day stretch that ended Sunday.

The last four in the run -- all but the Memphis game -- came against teams with winning percentages north of .600. The Warriors became just the second team in NBA history to beat four such opponents in succession in March or later, with the 2004-05 Rockets the first.

Impressed by his club's recent form, Warriors coach Steve Kerr nonetheless kept his eye on the prize during his postgame press conference Sunday.

"We want to get the No. 1 seed. We are not home yet. We are getting closer," he said. "It would be nice to rest some players down the stretch. We wanted to get through (the Washington) game before discussing anything like that."

Kerr ruled out Kevin Durant (sprained knee) for at least the next two games. But if fellow All-Stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green continue their recent form, chances are it won't matter.

Curry bombed in 42 points in the win over the Wizards, with 27 of the 42 coming on 3-pointers. The nine threes raised his season total to 302, pushing him past 300 for the second straight year.

Green, meanwhile, posted his 19th career triple-double against Washington with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists. The Warriors have never lost when Green has put up a triple-double.

The Timberwolves (31-45), meanwhile, have assured themselves of a 13th straight season without the playoffs. They have been relegated to spoiler role, and they have been successful their fair share of times. On Monday night, Minnesota earned a 110-109 home triumph over the Portland Trail Blazers, who are battling for the last Western Conference postseason spot.

"I don't think about spoilers. I think we're building something," said Wolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 34 points and 12 rebounds Monday. "Regardless of what our record is, we've got to go out there and play basketball the right way. ... Every game, every second, every practice, every workout is valuable to building a championship team, and that's how we need to look at it."

The Wolves have won five of their past 10 games against teams either battling for playoff position or jockeying for postseason seeding, including the victory over Portland.

The 10-game stretch also included a 103-102 home win over the Warriors last month, which at the time positioned the Timberwolves within 2 1/2 games of the final playoff spot in the West.

"We are learning and getting experience," Minnesota veteran Ricky Rubio said at the time. "These game are meaning a lot. We are going after it."

Timberwolves snap Blazers' 6-game streak, 110-109

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) As Karl-Anthony Towns powered through Portland's smaller frontcourt, the Trail Blazers found out just how much they're going to miss big man Jusuf Nurkic down the stretch.

Towns had 34 points and 12 rebounds and the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped Portland's six-game winning streak with a 110-109 victory over the Trail Blazers on Monday night.

It was the second game for Portland without Nurkic, who galvanized the team after coming over in a trade from Denver at the deadline.

He will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a fractured right leg, leaving the Blazers to battle big frontcourts in San Antonio, Utah and one more time against Minnesota without him and just a 1 1/2-game cushion on Denver for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

"There's a lot of good bigs out there, and we're thin right now. We've got Meyers (Leonard) and (Al-Farouq Aminu), who's not really a five," C.J. McCollum said. "So we're in a tough position, but it's not an excuse. We've got to go out there and play and make the best of it."

Damian Lillard scored 25 points but made just 7 of 21 shots, including 3 of 11 3-pointers. His potential game-winning pull-up jumper at the buzzer glanced off the rim.

Andrew Wiggins scored 29 points and Ricky Rubio had 11 points, 16 assists and seven rebounds for the Timberwolves, who bounced back from an ugly home loss to Sacramento that eliminated them from postseason contention on Saturday.

"They're playing small, we have a big who can guard smalls and play like a big at the other end," Rubio said of Towns. "That's big for us."

Aminu scored 20 points and Maurice Harkless had 17 points, eight rebounds and a big block of a Rubio drive that gave the Blazers the ball back with 4.9 seconds to play.

Lillard got a clean look, but couldn't knock it down and Portland missed a golden chance to pad its lead on Denver in a tense race.

The Blazers beat lowly Phoenix in their first game without Nurkic and went super-small on Monday against the Wolves with Aminu and Harkless seeing some time at center.

The sleek lineup put the Blazers in control with a 34-point second quarter, but the 7-foot Towns had his way in the fourth. He scored 14 points in the period, including a big dunk for a 110-106 lead with 35 seconds to go.

"We just had a hard time," Lillard said. "Guys competed hard on him. We made it as hard as we could on him, but he's very good and he's going to score points. That's what happened."

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: Terry Stotts was the Western Conference coach of the month and Lillard was the conference's player of the month as Portland finished March at 13-3. ... Lillard's first 3 of the game in the third quarter gave him 200 for the season, the third time he's done that in his career. Wes Matthews is the only other Blazers player to do it even one time.

Timberwolves: Brandon Rush scored 12 points, giving him back-to-back double-digit efforts for the first time since Jan. 11-13. ... Rubio hit a technical free throw in the third quarter after the Blazers were whistled for defensive 3 seconds. It was his 49th straight technical free throw made, the longest active streak in the league.

MCCOLLUM STRUGGLES

McCollum struggled as well, scoring 17 points on 5-for-14 shooting and 0 for 3 on 3s. He scored 43 and 32 points in his first two games against the Wolves.

"I think I've got to be more aggressive at certain times," he said.

MAKEUP GAME

Both teams are set up for difficult back-to-backs because this game had to be shoe-horned into the schedule. It was originally scheduled to be played on March 6, but an ice sheet that was placed under the court so Target Center could host a college hockey tournament started to melt due to unseasonably warm weather. That caused condensation on the court that could not be corrected, so the league postponed the game.

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Portland travels to Utah for a tough back-to-back on Tuesday.

Timberwolves: Minnesota heads to the Bay Area to play Golden State on Tuesday. The Wolves are the last team to beat the Warriors, doing so in Minnesota on March 10.

Hield's 22 points lead Kings to 123-117 win against Wolves

By BRIAN HALL
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Sacramento Kings were ending a grueling stretch of five games in seven nights with a long back-to-back from New Orleans to Minnesota.

Getting 66 points from the bench helps overcome tough travel.

Buddy Hield tied a career high with 22 points, going 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and the Kings' reserves dominated Minnesota's in a 123-117 victory on Saturday night.

Reserve point guard Ty Lawson had 21 points and 11 assists. Langston Galloway added 17 points and Aaron Afflalo scored 16 to lead the Kings' 66-26 advantage in bench points.

"I commend our second group coming in and giving us that energy because we really needed, especially on a back-to-back and the stretch that we're on," center Willie Cauley-Stein said. "That was much-needed for us because it could have easily went the other way and got real ugly."

The Kings recovered after losing by 28 points a night earlier at New Orleans against former Kings star DeMarcus Cousins. Sacramento shot a season-high 56.4 percent to win for the sixth time in 15 games since trading Cousins on Feb. 21.

"It's a struggle playing five games in seven nights," coach Dave Joerger said. "This was tough. It was a good test for our young guys to mentally fight through."

Andrew Wiggins scored 32 points for Minnesota, which had won five of its previous six homes games. A game after scoring a career-high 33 points, Ricky Rubio had 11 points on just 1-of-10 shooting, and added 13 assists.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves.

"We didn't do what we needed to do," Towns said. "It's as simple as that. We didn't keep them out of the paint. We also let them hit too many 3s. That comes from ball pressure and doing the little things in our defensive scheme."

The Kings looked like weary road travelers early, as Minnesota had another quick start with 31 points in the first quarter. Sacramento had nine turnovers in the first and shot 43.8 percent.

The bench got the Kings back in the game and then Sacramento took control with a 26-9 run at the end of the third and start of the fourth. Lawson scored 12 points in the second half and was 11 of 14 from the free-throw line in the game.

TIP-INS

Kings: Tyreke Evans, Kosta Koufos and Garrett Temple were ruled out for planned rest. ... Cauley-Stein had 15 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season - all since the All-Star break. ... Sacramento is 15-25 on the road, including two wins in Minnesota.

Timberwolves: G Zach LaVine was chosen the Flip Saunders Legacy Award recipient. The award, named after Minnesota's former coach, recognizes excellence in community service and is voted on by the team's players. ... Rubio had his third straight double-double and 22nd of the season. ... The Wolves are 19-20 at home this season.

HIELD HITTING

Given a chance for more minutes since being traded for Cousins, Hield has responded. The rookie entered the game averaging 13.9 points and shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from 3 in his 19 games with Sacramento.

Saturday was his fifth 20-point performance and third with the Kings.

"I think that's Buddy Hield's best game as a pro," Joerger said. "Whether he made shots or not, he's learning to do the other things; when we help, when we don't. Some of it is just learning to be a pro and some of it is learning how we do it in Sacramento. I thought he did a really nice job."

DEFENSIVE SLIDE

Minnesota won nine of 13 games in February and early March and seemed to be adjusting to coach Tom Thibodeau's defensive approach. The Wolves held opponents under 100 points in seven of the 13 games.

The 123 points scored by Sacramento was the fourth time an opponent reached that mark in the past eight games.

"We've got to keep working at it," Thibodeau said. "I thought our starters got us off to a good start and our bench came in and we had reckless fouls. We had some tough shots. ... We've got to straighten that out."

UP NEXT

Kings: Return home to play the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.

Timberwolves: Finish the homestand on Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers, a makeup of the March 6 postponement because of condensation on the court.

Rubio scores career-high 33 as Wolves beat Lakers 119-104

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
AP Basketball Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Ricky Rubio knows the Minnesota Timberwolves will almost assuredly miss the playoffs for the 13th straight year. Still, the pass-first point guard can take heart in knowing that he is changing the way the league views him as his season winds down.

Rubio had a career-high 33 points, 10 assists and five rebounds and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 32 points to lead the Timberwolves to a 119-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

"Starting the season, I wasn't feeling that good," said Rubio, who made 12 of 20 shots and 4 of 5 3-pointers, "and now I feel the best I've ever felt."

Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points for the Timberwolves (30-44), who have now won more games than they did last season. Minnesota had 30 assists and only 11 turnovers.

Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points and D'Angelo Russell had 14 points and seven assists for the Lakers (21-54), who have lost 17 of their last 19 games. Brandon Ingram missed his third straight game with patellar tendinitis in his right knee.

"Defensively, we definitely have to do better communicating," Clarkson said. "We were trying to force (Rubio) into taking those shots and giving a lot of help. He just made them tonight."

After playing well coming out of the All-Star break to revive their playoff hopes, the Wolves lost six straight earlier this month to fade from contention. One of those losses was an ugly one to the Lakers in Los Angeles last week and they were in danger of giving away another lead late to the lowly Lakers when Clarkson hit a 3 to pull LA within nine in the final four minutes.

But Rubio scored on a drive to the basket and knocked down a 21-foot jumper to hold off the comeback. A 37 percent shooter for his career, Rubio is shooting 46.5 percent and 44 percent from 3-point range, since the All-Star break.

"He's someone that you normally are living with him shooting 3s," coach Luke Walton said. "But our defense, we weren't communicating."

Julius Randle had 12 points and 13 rebounds and Tarik Black had 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Lakers, who entered the day a half-game ahead of the Suns for the second-worst record in the NBA.

"I wish we could fight for the playoff right now," Rubio said. "That's what I came here for. I hope we can build from here and finally take off next season."

TIP-INS

Lakers: Walton said the plan was for Ingram to practice on Friday and play on Saturday if all went well. ... Thomas Robinson, who had not played in four of the last five games, gave the Lakers a lift with 12 points in 14 minutes. ... The Lakers bench outscored Minnesota's 47-10.

Timberwolves: Minnesota scored 25 points off of 17 Lakers turnovers. ... Debbie Saunders presented a check for $6,000 to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx Basketball Academy on behalf of the Flip Saunders Legacy Fund, named for the former Wolves president and coach who died from complications involving lymphoma in 2015.

ZUBAC HURT

Lakers big man Ivica Zubac limped off the floor two minutes into the game with a sprained right ankle. He was taken for X-rays, which were negative, the Lakers said. He suffered a high ankle sprain and will be evaluated when the Lakers get back to Los Angeles. He left the arena in a walking boot.

"I'm not sure if I stepped on somebody's foot or what," he said. "But I don't know. Just rolled it."

GORGUI'S EFFORT

Gorgui Dieng added 11 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and three blocks for Minnesota, giving the Wolves a presence on defense and a stability on offense that he has all season long. Towns and Wiggins get more shots and pile up more stats, but Dieng has been crucial to what the Wolves do.

"They may seem like small things," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They're huge things in terms of winning."

UP NEXT

Lakers: Los Angeles heads back home, but it's technically for a road game against the Clippers on Saturday.

Timberwolves: Minnesota plays the second of a three-game home stand on Saturday against Sacramento.

Modest goals remain when Timberwolves host Lakers

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MINNEAPOLIS -- The flickering hopes of challenging for a playoff spot were doused by a grueling stretch of road games for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Minnesota begins a three-game homestand against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday with only the possibility of improvement on last season remaining. Los Angeles is heading toward another high pick in the NBA Draft with the league's second-worst record.

Two of the NBA's youngest teams are all too familiar with their current position: playing out the string in the season's final weeks.

The Timberwolves finished a stretch of seven of nine games on the road with a come-from-behind, 115-114 victory at Indiana on Tuesday.

"We did a great job of staying together, regardless of what was happening in the game," Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns told the team's website. "We felt that we had a chance the whole time. ... We did a great job at the end of executing."

Positivity has been fleeting recently for the Timberwolves.

They had won three home games in a row, all against playoff teams, the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards. But Minnesota lost six straight games before Tuesday's win. Six of the seven games were on the road.

Still, the Timberwolves matched last season's win total at 29-44 by beating the Pacers. Point guard Ricky Rubio hit three free throws with 3.4 seconds left to take the lead, and Indiana missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

"That moment is the reason you work in the arena by yourself shooting hundreds of free throws," said Rubio, who had 21 points, 10 assists and was a career-best 13 of 13 from the foul line. "You want to have moments like that, to feel that pressure. It's hard to do it at the end of the game."

Following the three-game homestand, Minnesota finishes the season with five of six games on the road.

Los Angeles' season also has collapsed at the end, though the Lakers were never in position to challenge for the playoffs after November. Like the Timberwolves, Los Angeles (21-53) is trying to find optimism.

For three quarters, the Lakers were handling Washington on Tuesday. Then John Wall and the Wizards took over in the fourth quarter to win in Los Angeles.

"We were playing unselfish," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "It was beautiful and a lot of fun to watch. Then, unfortunately, the fourth quarter started with us missing some open looks that we had been hitting. Then we had a couple turnovers. (Washington) picked the pressure up ... and they cut into that lead without really even having to get hot."

D'Angelo Russell scored 20 of his 28 points in the first half, and Jordan Clarkson finished with 22 points. Tyler Ennis, one of the young players getting a late-season opportunity, had 11 points.

Rookie forward Brandon Ingram, taken three spots ahead of Minnesota rookie point guard Kris Dunn in last summer's draft, missed the Tuesday game due to right patellar tendinitis, and he is questionable for the Thursday game.

Rubio's late free throws help Minnesota end skid at Indiana

By MICHAEL MAROT
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Ricky Rubio thought the refs made the right call Tuesday night.

Just about everyone else inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse disagreed.

Following the disputed foul call, Rubio made three free throws with 3.4 seconds left to give the Minnesota Timberwolves their only lead of the fourth quarter and an improbable 115-114 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

The foul was called on Jeff Teague, though it appeared Rubio ran into teammate Gorgui Dieng. Indiana fans booed the officials as they left the court, and even Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau declined to comment on the call.

"I don't know what you want me to say, it was a bad call," Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns said after finishing with 37 points and 12 rebounds.

When told about Thibodeau's reaction, Towns responded: "No comment? You ever seen those basketball commercials where it's like `I got to tell coach, it's on me?' We don't do that here. No, it was a great call."

Why would Minnesota complain?

The Timberwolves snapped a season-long six-game losing streak and earned their first road win since March 1 at Utah.

Yet for most of the final 15 minutes, it looked like this game would end the same way so many others have for Minnesota this season. This time, after giving away a nine-point third-quarter lead and finding themselves in a 104-95 deficit with 7:06 left to play, the Timberwolves continued to fight and finished the game on a 9-2 run.

"I got the ball, I tried to get the screen, I felt Teague on my arm and I tried to shoot it and the refs see what they call," Rubio said after scoring 21 points, dishing out 10 assists and going 13 of 13 from the free-throw line.

The Pacers had a chance to win it on Monta Ellis' 3-pointer at the buzzer, but his shot was off the mark.

Paul George finished with 37 points, seven rebounds and four steals, and Teague had 20 points and 10 assists. The Pacers still haven't won back-to-back games since early February and remain mired in a three-way tie for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.

After a listless 2 1/2 quarters, Indiana had a 12-0 spurt over the final 3:15 of the third quarter. They just couldn't close it out.

"You can't leave it up to the officials," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. "These guys were calling close fouls, touch fouls, a number of different kinds of fouls and you've just got to be disciplined in that situation."

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Won at Indianapolis for the first time since Jan. 23, 2015 and avoided a second straight season sweep. ... Towns was 10 of 10 from the free-throw line. ... Dieng had 19 points and Andrew Wiggins added 17 points and Dieng had 19.

Pacers: George had 25 points, six rebounds and two steals in the first half while going 8 of 12 from the field and 4 of 5 on 3s. He finished 12 of 21 from the field and didn't make another 3. ... Indiana was 29 of 35 from the free-throw line compared with Minnesota's 32 of 37. ... Ellis had 19 points.

INJURY UPDATE

Indiana played without three key backups, and they could be out for a while longer.

McMillan said Rodney Stuckey will miss four to six weeks with a strained left patellar tendon. Center Al Jefferson (sprained left ankle) and forward Glenn Robinson III (sore left calf) were also out, and McMillan said Jefferson could miss up to two weeks.

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Begin a three-game homestand by hosting the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

Pacers: Will try to avoid a third straight season sweep when they visit Memphis on Wednesday night.

McCollum has 32, Blazers beat Timberwolves 112-100

By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) CJ McCollum seems to have a knack for playing well against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

McCollum had 32 points and the Portland Trail Blazers continued their push for the playoffs with a 112-100 victory on Saturday night.

It was his second strong performance against the team. On New Year's Day, he had a career-high 43 points in a 95-89 victory in Minneapolis.

In fact, he's had four straight games with 20 or more points against the Timberwolves.

"I just try to take advantage of some of the opportunities I've had against them," McCollum said. "I think over the course of my career I've played well against the teams that didn't draft me."

Lillard added 21 points for the Blazers, who have won 10 of their last 13 games. Portland has seven of its last 10 games at home.

The Blazers pulled within a game of the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Andrew Wiggins had 20 points for Minnesota, which lost its sixth consecutive game overall and seventh straight on the road. The Timberwolves, who trailed by as many as 24 points in the second half, are six games behind Portland in the West.

Both teams sat most of their starters in the final minutes.

"We wanted to win in the third quarter," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "It's been a long season and we've had situations like that before, but I thought this was one of our better games as far as building the lead, maintaining the lead, making good decisions and being able to rest everybody, keeping everybody under 30 minutes."

It was the first of three games the Blazers will play against the Timberwolves over the next two weeks. The Blazers will play at Minnesota on April 3, a game that was originally scheduled for March 6 but was postponed because of condensation on the court at the Target Center. It was caused by the ice under the court for a hockey tournament and an ice show.

The teams will return to Portland for another game on April 6.

Portland was coming off a 110-95 victory over the Knicks. The Blazers turn around and visit the Lakers on Sunday night.

Portland built a 23-15 lead in the first quarter and stretched it to 60-46 at the break. McCollum led all scorers in the first half with 21 points.

Jusuf Nurkic's layup off a pass from Lillard stretched Portland's lead to 69-51 in the third quarter. Lillard's 3-pointer extended it to 94-72 before the quarter was over and Minnesota was never able to mount much of a rally.

Following the game, Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau was asked if he sensed his team was fatigued.

"Every team plays the same amount of games, they go through the same things you're going through," he said. "You get into stuff together, you get out of stuff together and you have to be mentally tough. There are games that we've let get away that we should've won," he said. "That's part of it. Learn from it and get ready for the next one."

Minnesota was coming off a 130-119 overtime loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles the night before.

TIP INS

Timberwolves: For the record, McCollum was the 10th overall pick by the Blazers in the 2013 NBA Draft. Minnesota had the ninth pick and went with Trey Burke. ... It was Wiggins' sixth straight game with 20 or more points.

Trail Blazers: One of the loudest cheers of the night came when the final seconds of Oregon's Elite Eight victory over Kansas was played on the video scoreboard. ... Allen Crabbe has at least one 3-pointer in 14 straight games.

YOU TALKIN' ABOUT PRACTICE

All of the Blazers recently had a practice that was devoted to shooting. It looks to have paid off, because Portland shot 62.5 percent for the game.

"It was one of those coach Terry specials where we do a lot of different shooting drills, midrange, some 3s, just different drills where were going for a certain amount of points, just trying to get our reps. He does a great job of mixing up the practice schedules," McCollum said.

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Minnesota plays at Indiana on Tuesday.

Trail Blazers: Portland visits the Lakers at the Staples Center on Sunday night.

Blazers, Timberwolves play three times in 12 days starting Saturday

Stats, LLC

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves will get to know each other well in the next two weeks.

The teams square off Saturday night at Moda Center, then meet again on April 3 in Minneapolis and on April 6 in Portland.

"It's going to be challenging," Portland coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "It's as much a playoff experience as anything. By the third time we play them, there aren't going to be any secrets. I don't know if we've ever played a team three times in 12 days (during the regular season)."

The Trail Blazers (33-38), who have won nine of their last 12 games, are chasing Denver (34-38) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves (28-43) are five games behind Portland and have lost five in a row after a 130-119 overtime setback to the Los Angeles Lakers Friday night at Staples Center.

"We look at it as a mini-playoff series, like last year with the Clippers or the Warriors," Portland guard Allen Crabbe said. "We'll game plan, try to execute, then go back and watch (video) and figure out what we can do better for the next game with them.

"Our biggest focus is winning all three of those games. We understand the position we're in. We didn't plan to be in this position this late in the season, but it's the position we're in. We know it's going to be a dogfight."

The Blazers are going through their best stretch of the season at the right time.

"Everything is clicking for us at both ends," Crabbe said. "Our biggest (shortcoming) this year has been about consistency. We're trying to get that now. If we play at the level we're capable of, we give ourselves a good chance. The way we look at it is, we have to win every single game we have left."

Portland jumped to a 67-46 halftime lead over New York on Thursday night, then allowed the Knicks to whittle the margin to 10 points late in the game before winning 110-95.

"We know when we get a big lead, we have to keep that," Portland center Jusuf Nurkic said. "We know we're a playoff team, but we know we have to do better at that."

The Blazers have eight of their final 11 games at home, but their record at the Moda Center this season is a mediocre 18-15.

"It helps," Lillard said. "We have the best crowd in the NBA. We have a real home-court advantage.

"But you also have to understand, just because you're on your home court, it's not going to come easy. Teams are going to come in and compete."

Portland usually beats Minnesota at home, having won 18 of the last 20 matchups at Moda Center dating to 2006.

The Timberwolves base their hopes largely on the talents of second-year center Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 25 points and 13 rebounds in Friday's loss at Staples Center. Only one player age 21 or younger has averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds while shooting .500 from the field -- Orlando's Shaquille O'Neal in 1993-94. Towns, 21, is on pace to join Shaq, carrying averages of 24.6 points and 12.2 rebounds while shooting .534.

"I think I've become a smarter player from my rookie year," Towns told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I'm smarter with the ball in my hands. I take my time more. I'm really happy I was able to grow from last year. Now I have to get better and better next year, and the year after that."