Wolves beat Blazers for 3rd straight win since Butler trade

Posted November 17, 2018 6:00 am

By ANDRES YBARRA

Minnesota Timberwolves' Andrew Wiggins, left, drives against Portland Trail Blazers' CJ McCollum during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves players paid tribute to the musician Prince, who died in 2016, with new purple-trimmed uniforms. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Andrew Wiggins scored 23 points, Derrick Rose had 17 and the Minnesota Timberwolves kept cruising without Jimmy Butler by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 112-96 on Friday night.

Robert Covington and Karl-Anthony Towns each had 14 points for the Wolves, who are 7-1 at home and 3-0 since trading the disgruntled Butler to Philadelphia on Monday.

The home crowd buzzed on a Prince-themed night with former Minnesota All-Star Kevin Garnett sitting courtside in one of the team's special purple-and-black alternate jerseys. The Wolves kept them cheering with uncharacteristically solid defense, sending Portland to its second straight loss with a season-low in points.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves' lineup had a balanced night, with all five starters scoring in double figures.

CJ McCollum had 18 points and Damian Lillard added 16 for Portland, which never led. The Blazers got within six in the third quarter before Minnesota closed the period on a 21-11 run by attacking the basket.

It was a stark difference from the last time the teams met nearly two weeks ago, when the Blazers held Minnesota to 81 points - the lowest point total in the NBA this season. The Wolves were without Butler, Jeff Teague and Rose for that game.

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: Lillard had five assists to pass Damon Stoudamire (3,018) for third on the team's career list. He has 3,020 for his career. ... G Seth Curry sat out with a bruised right knee from the first quarter of Wednesday night's loss to the Lakers. Curry said Thursday his goal was to return during the team's current six-game road trip.

Timberwolves: F Anthony Tolliver didn't play for the second straight game. He told local media Friday that coach Tom Thibodeau didn't talk to him about not playing in Wednesday night's win against New Orleans. Thibodeau, known for playing with a short bench, defended the decision to not play the usually reliable veteran. "If you try to play too many then everyone plays poorly. So you try to make a decision, you gather information and it usually works out. You're going to need everyone over the course of the year."

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Visit Washington on Sunday.

Timberwolves: Host Memphis on Sunday.

___

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

Portland Trail Blazers' CJ McCollum, left, and Damian Lillard, right, defend as Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns shoots during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) The Associated Press

Portland Trail Blazers' Jake Layman, left, drives in front of Minnesota Timberwolves' Andrew Wiggins during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) The Associated Press

Minnesota Timberwolves' Dario Saric lays up a shot as Portland Trail Blazers' Nik Stauskas, lower left, watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) 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.