Timberwolves troll Lakers, clinch spot in play-in tourney
For years, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been the doormat of the NBA. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers traveled to Minneapolis expecting an easy victory. More often than not, it was like the league's equivalent of a half-day.
But the roles were reversed on Wednesday night. The Timberwolves dominated a fading Lakers team and let them know about it in a 124-104 victory.
Playing in front of a packed house at Target Center, Minnesota enjoyed a fast start. Anthony Edwards led the charge, scoring 11 of his 27 points in the first quarter. With Edwards knocking down six 3-pointers on the night, the Wolves opened up a 25-point lead midway through the second quarter.
Karl-Anthony Towns also had a tremendous night, building off his 60-point effort in San Antonio. Towns wound up with 30 points and eight rebounds and drew multiple "M-V-P" chants throughout the night.
This game wasn't just about the box score. This was about punking a Lakers team that looked broken. Patrick Beverley was on Russell Westbrook all night long and with a hustle rebound in the third quarter, it appeared that Westbrook's controller had disconnected.
After the Lakers made it a four-point game with 10:12 in the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves stepped on the gas with an 8-2 run. The game seemed to be capped off on a Westbrook airball, which left KAT wondering if there was a breeze inside Target Center.
The antics weren't received well by Westbrook, who displayed his saltiness to reporters after the game.
With the win, the Timberwolves (41-30) clinched a spot in the NBA's play-in tournament They also climbed within 1.5 games of the Denver Nuggets for the sixth spot in the Western Conference. Minnesota will look to keep its momentum going when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday afternoon.
