For at least one night, the Timberwolves escaped nearly all of the problems that have plagued them this season on Sunday.
Third-quarter disappearances? Minnesota exploded for 37 points.
Quality-opponent intimidation? The Wolves largely outplayed the Eastern Conference's third-best team, and on the road.
But especially: Point-guard fiascos? Check out this long-missing version of D' Angelo Russell. Minnesota's chief ball-handler played a nearly perfect game, missing only two of his 13 shots, nailing four three-pointers, handing out 12 assists, turning the ball over only twice, and guiding the Timberwolves to a what-a-relief 129-124 upset of the Cavaliers in downtown Cleveland.
No, not every problem disappeared, particularly the one about not being able to safeguard big leads, but the Wolves still managed to snap their three-game losing streak despite the 51-point clinic put on by Darius Garland. And they managed to turn a 24-point third-quarter lead into a two-point emergency in the final minute.
But Rudy Gobert deflected Kevin Love's long inbound pass with five seconds to play, Taurean Prince intercepted it, and the Wolves escaped with their most impressive victory of the season.
Russell, who has absorbed the brunt of the blame for Minnesota's disappointing start to the season, hit the first six shots he took on Sunday, and scored a season-high 27 points while helping the confident Wolves their 99-75 lead late in the third quarter.
The Cavs, unbeaten in their first four games at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse this season, rallied in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 consecutive points at one point and twice pulled within two points in the final minute. to pull within 117-111 with just over three minutes to play.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 29 points for the Wolves, including 16 in a six-minute span of the third quarter, and Gobert added 15 as Minnesota's interior game at times overpowered a Cleveland team that was missing All-Star center Jarrett Allen.
