MINNEAPOLIS — This wasn't the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. Or even the Clippers.
The Timberwolves returned from an 0-2 swing west and hosted the Washington Wizards Friday at Target Center. The winless Washington Wizards, without a resting Russell Westbrook, playing on the back end of back-to-back games.
Make that the previously winless Wizards.
With Bradley Beal scoring in droves, with the Wizards effective both on the perimeter and in the paint, Washington thumped the Wolves, 130-109.
Minnesota (2-3) lost its third straight game, all played without injured center Karl-Anthony Towns, all by 21 points or more. Washington's final marked the most points the Wolves have given up in this young season.
Beal scored 31 points on 12-for-20 shooting, leading eight Wizards players in double figures. Center Thomas Bryant had 18 points and seven rebounds, making all seven of his shots. Washington shot 55.1% overall and made 16 of 33 3-pointers and turned 20 Wolves turnovers into 33 points.
Malik Beasley led the Wolves with 21 points. Naz Reid and Anthony Edwards each had 17. D'Angelo Russell had 14 but was a minus-32 in 26 minutes played.
The Wolves got off to another slow start. They trailed by 12 after a quarter. Jake Layman helped lead a second-quarter charge that drew Minnesota within three at the half.
But, in a disastrous third quarter, it all fell apart. Washington outscored the Wolves 40-14 in those 12 minutes, with Beal scoring 11 and Bryant getting nine as the Wizards grew their lead to 29, 100-71.
That lead eventually maxed out at 37 points.
The Wolves opened the game making their first four shots ... and found themselves trailing by eight. Minnesota shot 11 for 21 in the first quarter, but it ended with the Wolves down 12 after another difficult start. It would have been worse had Beasley not started the game scoring 12 first-quarter points.
The problems? The undersized Wolves allowed 16 points in the paint over the first 12 minutes. Also, four Wolves turnovers were turned into seven points by the Wizards. Reid added seven points in the first quarter. Down 10, the Wolves rallied to within four on Edward's drive.
But the Wizards ended the quarter on an 8-0 run, with Davis Bertans hitting two 3-pointers, to lead 37-25 entering the second.
If Beasley kept the Wolves within reach in the first quarter, Layman helped the team come back in the second.
But it took a while.
That 12-point Washington lead grew to 16, 46-30, on Bertans' 3-pointer with 8:52 left in the half.
The rest of the half? It was Minnesota, 27-14.
Layman had nine of those. His three-point play with 5:12 left in the half cut Washington's lead to nine. His two free throws at 3:54 drew Minnesota within eight. His 3-pointer with 3:26 made it a five-point game.
Russell hit two 3s, and then Reid scored at the end of the half to draw the Wolves within three, 60-57.
This despite 20 first-half points by Beal and a Wizards team that shot better than 50% over the first 24 minutes.
It didn't last. The Wolves again came out slow to start the second half. In the first 94 seconds of the third quarter the Wolves went 0 for 3 while the Wizards hit three straight 3s to push the lead back to 12.
And it just got worse. With Beal leading the way, Washington's lead grew to 29 by quarter's end.
