Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle dribbles as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland defends during the second quarter at Target Center in Minneapolis on Jan. 18, 2024. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Any way you slice it, the Minnesota Timberberwolves were in for a tough one Saturday night.
They were playing less than 24 hours after beating the New York Knicks in the Big Apple Friday night, and against the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers no less. And while they kept up with the Cavs for most of the night, they lost their footing in the fourth quarter and couldn’t make the finish line in a 124-117 loss at Target Center in Minneapolis.
The Cavs (35-6) held the Wolves (22-20) to just 19 points in the third quarter to take an 89-79 lead into the final frame. Then they scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to gain a 20-point advantage. The Wolves caught fire late, putting up 38 points in the fourth and cutting the deficit to as few as five with 12 seconds left, but it wasn’t a true threat.
“I really thought the game came unglued for us with our inability to rebound defensively,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “They had six offensive rebounds in the third quarter and it feels like they scored on every single one of them.”
Minnesota struggled to contain the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, who found essentially anything they wanted for most of the night. Mitchell finished with a game-high 36 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while Garland knocked down five 3-pointers and finished with 29 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Anthony Edwards scored 11 of his team-high 28 points in the first quarter as Minnesota led 32-29 after 12 minutes. In the process, Edwards became the third-youngest player to reach 8,000 career points, trailing only LeBron James and Devin Durant. Edwards accomplished the feat quicker than anyone in franchise history, doing so in just 344 games.
The Cavs were without Evan Mobley, out due to calf soreness, and as a result the Wolves were dominant on the glass early. Rudy Gobert got off to a particularly strong start, scoring 15 of his 17 points in the first half. He had 12 rebounds.
The Wolves and Cavs traded blows throughout the opening 24 minutes, going into the break knotted at 60-60.
Julius Randle also crushed the Cavs on the glass and nearly put together a triple-double, finishing with 20 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. He was efficient, shooting 7 for 12 from the field for the game.
The Wolves played without Donte DiVincenzo, out with a toe injury, for the second straight night. Mike Conley once again started in his place and got off to a strong start, knocking down a pair of 3s in the first quarter on his way to nine points and three assists on the night. DiVincenzo’s absence led to more extended minutes for rookie point guard Rob Dillingham, who struggled shooting early but showed flashes late to finish with 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting. He had two assists.
Ultimately, it was a schedule loss for the Wolves with a brutal turnaround after playing in New York the night prior. But they gave themselves opportunities early in the game to give themselves a chance, and didn’t capitalize.
Published 58 Minutes Ago|Modified 12:27 AM EST
