MINNEAPOLIS _ The Wolves had just seen a modest lead late in the second quarter melt away amid a flurry of Utah points that put the Jazz up five at halftime Monday night.
Just five.
But as the players walked off the Target Center court, their body language suggested a much deeper hole. Such are the challenges of a young team that has lost more than it has won in this young season.
Despite a brief fourth-quarter rally, this one ended with another loss, 112-103 to the Jazz.
This one can't be pinned on the team taking a quarter off. There was no quarter-long collapse.
They just weren't able to overcome a Jazz team whose young players are a little farther along than the Wolves, with a little more of a veteran presence.
With Rudy Gobert (16 points 17 rebounds) protecting the paint and wiping the glass clean and with Gordon Hayward (24) and George Hill (24) combining for 48 points the Jazz (10-8) won for the third straight time.
The Wolves (5-12) got double-figure scoring from six players, but lost their second straight game and for the fifth time in six games.
Down five points to start the fourth quarter, Shabazz Muhammad (10 points) scored eight points and Zach LaVine (26) three as the Wolves came out strong; Muhammad's driving dunk with 9:49 left tied the game at 78, and his two free throws at 8:42 tied it at 80. Moments later, down two, Tyus Jones _ again playing the entire fourth quarter at the point _ hit a 3-pointer to put the Wolves up 83-82 with 7:45 left.
The Jazz responded. With four players scoring, Utah came back with an 11-0 run to take a 10-point lead.
The Wolves never threatened again.
With Gobert protecting the rim, the Wolves struggled to score in the paint, with Karl-Anthony Towns (19 points on 8-for-19) often altering his shot. Gorgui Dieng and Ricky Rubio scored 11 points each.
The first 12 minutes were a rather wild succession of runs.
For example: Both teams had a pair of 7-0 runs. Utah had its first after Rubio had opened the scoring with a 3-pointer. The second came after the Wolves had tied the game at nine.
Out of a time out the Wolves _ who hit four of seven 3-pointers _ had their own 7-0 run begun with Dieng's three-point play to take a 25-18 lead. After the Jazz scored four, Dieng's last-second put-back put the Wolves up 27-22. This despite being out-rebounded by the Jazz 13-7, with Gobert getting six of those.
All 10 starters scored in the first quarter, which ended with Towns on the bench with two fouls.
The second quarter played out much like the first. With one exception: The Jazz had one more run than the Wolves.
With the Wolves up seven early in the second quarter, the Trey Lyles had four points in a 9-0 Jazz run that put Utah up two.
Out of a time out moments later, down four, the Wolves responded. Towns had five points and LaVine had four in a 9-0 run that put the Wolves up 43-40 on Towns' three-point play.
But it didn't last long. The Jazz ended the half on a 10-2 run to lead 50-45 entering the third.
For a team that has struggled so mightily in the third quarter, Monday was a relative bright spot. With LaVine scoring eight and Towns six, the Wolves kept pace during a 24-24 third quarter that kept the deficit at five entering the final quarter.
