The luck of the Timberwolves.
Not a phrase you might have heard much the past few years. But when it comes to being lucky and good, lately, the Wolves have had a lot of both.
Which brings us to Saturday's game with Milwaukee at Target Center, when it was announced before the game that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was out with a sore right knee. Wolves coach Chris Finch talked about his team having to pivot after devoting a good 80% of their game plan to the Milwaukee star.
They managed.
Going 22-for-47 on three pointers — nine players hit at least one — and leading from late in the first quarter on, and shooting better than 50%, the Wolves beat the Bucks 138-119. Minnesota (42-30) has now won four straight and 10 of 11 and has clinched at least a play-in spot in the Western Conference.
"We can't control who they play, who's out, whatever,'' Finch said. "That was a really focused and really great performance by us, for the most part. Played with good energy.''
Energy that crackled into a bit more at times. The game featured a first-quarter shoving match between Serge Ibaka and Minnesota's Taurean Prince that escalated when Patrick Beverley shoved Ibaka in the back and Milwaukee's George Hill got involved.
Both Beverley and Hill were ejected.
There was a time, against a good team, when tempers flared, the Wolves might have lost their way. Saturday it only made them better, more focused.
"We've come pretty far,'' Naz Reid said. "I mean, I think it fired us up, to be honest. At home, with our fans (a 17,136 sellout). It's crazy. I think we came a long way.''
Up six after a quarter, that lead grew to 12 at the half and to 24 after a blistering 38-point third quarter.
The victory pushed the Wolves into an interesting week.
With Dallas losing Saturday, the standings are tightening up. The Wolves are in seventh in the Western Conference, a half-game behind No. 6 Denver and 1½ games behind the fifth-place Mavericks, with two games against Dallas scheduled for this week — at Dallas on Monday, at home Friday, wrapped around Wednesday's game with Phoenix.
"Any time we step on the court, we should win,'' Karl-Anthony Towns said. "Simple as that. There's no excuse. We don't feel we should lose to anybody. We feel we can beat anybody. … If we do what we're supposed to do, we feel it's a guaranteed win.''
Towns and Anthony Edwards both had 25 points. They combined to make nine of 16 threes. Towns was playing with a sore right arm initially hurt in San Antonio last week, an injury that stubbornly refuses to get better. Listed as doubtful on the injury report, Towns was a last-second addition to the starting lineup.
Edwards' offense came with some good defense against Khris Middleton. D'Angelo Russell had 16 points and nine assists. Reid (14), Malik Beasley (14) and Prince (10) all scored in double figures off the bench.
BOXSCORE: Wolves 138, Milwaukee 119
Middleton, Brook Lopez and Wesley Matthews all scored 15 for Milwaukee (44-27).
It was another efficient night for the Wolves, who turned the ball over just 11 times, getting the edge on the break and off turnovers. The Wolves, the NBA's highest-scoring team, have averaged nearly 130 points per game while going 10-1.
Towns expects playoff intensity Monday in Dallas.
"We have to win them all,'' Towns said. "I'm excited to go out there and compete.''
