MINNEAPOLIS — It has been weeks. Hasn't it seemed longer?
Wednesday night at Target Center, for the first time since Dec. 23, D'Angelo Russell put on his Timberwolves uniform. For the first time since Dec. 21 Karl-Anthony Towns did the same.
For the first time since Dec. 15 — and for just the 11th time this season — Wolves coach Chris Finch was able to pencil in his preferred starting lineup.
That starting lineup is now 9-2.
Up 19 with 4:11 left in the third, but that lead cut to one mid-way through the fourth, the Wolves reasserted control en route to a 98-90 victory over Oklahoma City.
Jaylen Nowell had seven points in a 10-2 run that put the Wolves back up by nine with 2:26 left.
That a one-sided game nearly went sideways didn't matter once the game ended and five Wolves players had finished in double figures.
Towns had 17 points and 16 rebounds in his return. Patrick Beverley made five of nine threes, scored 20 points and had six assists. Anthony Edwards scored 21. Nowell (16) and Jaden McDaniels (11) were in double figures off the bench.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City (13-24) with 19 points. Josh Giddey had 14 points, 15 rebounds and six assists.
The two teams will play again in Oklahoma City on Friday.
Weeks? Worth the wait to have Towns, Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Beverley and Edwards together in the starting lineup. As COVID-19 has run a fast break through the league, landing player after player in the NBA's health and safety protocols, the Wolves had more than their share. Nine players total, including all the starters. Wednesday, with the return of Towns and Russell, it appears the Wolves might be emerging from the tunnel.
With all five starters scoring — both Towns (a three-pointer) and Russell hit their first shots — the Wolves broke open a tie game with an early 18-4 run that put them up 22-8 with less than 4 minutes left in the first quarter.
That run included a three by Towns, consecutive threes by Beverley for a team that was moving the ball well, picking up seven assists on nine made baskets during the run. Out of a time out, the Wolves bench continued the trend, with the lead growing to 30-10 by the time the quarter ended. The Wolves shot 48 percent, had assists on nine made baskets and held the Thunder to 3-for-16 shooting.
It was the Wolves' turn to struggle with their shot in the second. Minnesota made just eight of 23 shots in the second quarter, just two of 10 threes. The Thunder opened the quarter 21-9 to draw within eight on Aaron Wiggin's layup with 4:14 left in the half.
But, with the starters back in the game the Wolves got two put-backs by Towns and threes by Jaden McDaniels and Beverley in a 10-5 finish that put the wolves up 49-36 at halftime.
The Wolves had pushed the lead back to 19 on two Towns free throws with 4:11 left in the third quarter. And then things went south, in a big way.
With the Wolves unable to hit a shot, with tempers flaring — Towns got called for a technical after being called for his second offensive foul of the quarter — the Thunder finished the quarter on a 17-4 run, pulling within 69-63 entering the fourth quarter.
