Wolves blow 23-point lead in OT loss to Bulls
Familiar fourth quarter demons haunted the Timberwolves in Chicago Tuesday night as the Bulls rallied from a 23-point deficit and won 129-123 in overtime.
Minnesota led by as many as 23 points in the second quarter and carried 69-47 lead at the half only to let the Bulls bully them in the second half, outscoring the Wolves 68-46 and actually taking a four point lead late in the fourth quarter.
Fourth quarter scoring issues have been a problem in all of Minnesota's last five losses. They were outscored 28-14 by the Thunder; 36-18 in a loss to the Hornets; 33-22 in a close loss to the Spurs; 28-18 in a two-point loss to the Magic; and 32-23 against the Bulls.
Trailing 115-112 with the clock ticking and the Bulls applying intense defensive pressure, the Wolves tied the game on a contested 3-pointer by Karl-Anthony Towns, who swished the shot with a hand in his face.
Towns hit 7-of-16 from deep and finished with 33 points, second on the team behind Anthony Edwards' 38 points. Jaden McDaniels added 13 points while Rudy Gobert finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds.
While the Wolves were a two-man scoring show, Chicago was balanced with a combined 106 points from DeMar DeRozan (33), Coby White (33), Nikola Vucevic (24) and Andre Drummond (16).
Up next: Timberwolves at Bucks, Thursday at 7 p.m. CT.
Feb 6, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) defends Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) during the first quarter at United Center.
Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
