Pro Sports

Towns, bench help Timberwolves beat road-weary Kings 132-105

Posted December 17, 2018 6:00 am

By BRIAN HALL

Minnesota Timberwolves' Josh Okogie (20), of Nigeria, and Robert Covington (33) celebrate after the Sacramento Kings took a timeout during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien) The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points and 14 assists in just 21 minutes, Andrew Wiggins scored 17 and the Minnesota Timberwolves got a big boost from their bench in a 132-105 win against the road-weary Sacramento Kings on Monday night.

Derrick Rose added 13 points and a season-high 11 assists while starting for injured point guard Jeff Teague. Minnesota led by 36 in the first half against Sacramento, which was coming off a 120-113 victory at Dallas a night earlier.

The Timberwolves returned home following an 0-4 trip, including a 141-130 loss at Sacramento.

Buddy Hield scored 21 points for the Kings but didn't play in the second half. Sacramento coach Dave Joerger didn't play any of his starters after halftime.

Considering the travel and the team's start, Joerger had reason to stick with his reserves.

Minnesota had a double-digit lead less than three minutes into the game. Hield tried to rally the Kings, scoring 16 of their first 17 points and hitting his first four 3-pointerse before the Wolves' bench took over.

Keyed by Gorgui Dieng and Josh Okogie, Minnesota started the second half on a 25-5 run. Dieng scored seven of his season-high 15 points during the outburst, but it was the energetic rookie Okogie that had the Timberwolves and their fans celebrating.

Okogie recovered a loose ball on the defensive end and streaked down for an acrobatic dunk. On the next series, he blocked a shot and fed Dieng with a no-look pass on the other end for a dunk. Following a Sacramento miss, Okogie got out on the break again for an easy lay-in.

The Kings had a scoreless stretch of nearly three minutes on the other side.

The bench brought Sacramento back in the third quarter. With Yogi Ferrell, Troy Williams, Justin Jackson, Skal Labissiere and Kosta Koufos starting the second half, the Kings went on a 21-3 spurt to cut the deficit to 12.

Minnesota slowly recovered with Towns and Taj Gibson leading the way inside. The Timberwolves outscored Sacramento 66-36 in the paint.

TIP-INS

Kings: Sacramento starters De'Aaron Fox, Willie Cauley-Stein and Nemanja Bjelica all played fewer than 10 minutes. Fox, who entered averaging 18.5 points and 7.5 assists per game, was held scoreless on 0-of-4 shooting and didn't have an assist. ... The bench scored a season-high 78 points.

Timberwolves: Teague missed the game with left ankle inflammation. Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said there was no specific injury, but the inflammation built up over time. ... Okogie finished with 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. ... The Wolves had a season-high 37 assists on 48 made shots.

UP NEXT

Kings: Return home Wednesday against Oklahoma City.

Timberwolves: Host Detroit on Wednesday.

___

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Sacramento Kings forward Harry Giles (20) guards against Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien) The Associated Press

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Robert Covington (33) pours water on teammate guard Josh Okogie (20), of Nigeria, after a win against the Sacramento Kings of an NBA basketball game on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves won 132-105. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien) The Associated Press

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Josh Okogie (20), of Nigeria, passes the ball away from Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves won 132-105. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien) The Associated Press

Minnesota Timberwolves' Andrew Wiggins, left, drives against Sacramento Kings' Justin Jackson during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien) The Associated Press

Minnesota Timberwolves' Robert Covington (33) guards against Sacramento Kings' Buddy Hield (24), of the Bahamas, during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien) The Associated Press

Sacramento Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica (88), of Serbia, guards against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taj Gibson (67) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien) The Associated Press

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau watches his team play against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien) The Associated Press

Sacramento Kings head coach David Joerger watches his team play against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Basketball Content Providers NBA Pro Sports Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.