Shorthanded Timberwolves fall to Atlanta in Monday matinee
The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped their ninth game in their last 10 on Monday afternoon, falling to the Atlanta Hawks by a score of 108-97.
The story for the Timberwolves coming into the game was their revamped starting lineup as Karl-Anthony Towns and Juancho Hernangomez were out due to COVID-19 protocols.
While the Timberwolves were down one star, D'Angelo Russell made sure he picked up the slack, putting up a game-high 31 points to go with seven assists.
Russell did his work from the backcourt, but Jarred Vanderbilt continued to force his way into the frontcourt rotation. Vanderbilt put up eight points and eight rebounds in place of Hernangomez.
Although the Timberwolves also got 15 points for Malik Beasley, the impact of the team's COVID-19 situation, which also saw Ricky Rubio sit out this game, was too much to overcome.
The Hawks saw all five starters score in double figures with De'Andre Hunter leading the way with 25 points. With Clint Capella adding 23 points and 15 rebounds in the paint, the Hawks were able to handle the Wolves and come away with another loss.
The Timberwolves are now 3-9 on the season and will host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.
