MINNEAPOLIS _ Without Andrew Wiggins on Friday night, the Timberwolves didn't look like themselves.
Entering the game, Wiggins' absence seemed like not a huge deal. After all, the Wolves had beaten their opponent Friday, the Wizards, by 22 on the road without Karl-Anthony Towns on Nov. 2.
But the Wolves turned in their first true clunker of the season, failing to guard the Wizards all night in a 137-116 loss at Target Center.
They just had no way of stopping Washington and Bradley Beal, not a great sign with James Harden and the Rockets on deck Saturday. Beal had 44 points while Moritz Wagner had 30 off the bench. Towns has 36 and 10 rebounds on his 24th birthday.
The Wolves didn't have much trouble scoring at first without Wiggins, who was visiting family after the death of his grandmother. They shot 60% in the first half, but they slowed down considerably in the second half, shooting just 33%.
Meanwhile, they couldn't keep pace with the Wizards, who may not play much defense themselves, but they can score the ball. They had put up 158 and 133 points at different times this season, albeit both in losses.
Both teams were able to get high quality shots in the first half. Towns went to work early and often, bullying around Thomas Bryant, Davis Bertrans and Wagner. In an amusing back-and-forth, Wagner tried his best to take a charge whenever he could on the Wolves � and he got three in the first half. In the second quarter, he fell to the ground in a charge attempt only to not get the call. Towns dunked on him and then placed the ball in his chest, drawing a technical. Then in a crucial moment at the 8:30 mark of the second quarter, Towns leaned into a leaping Wagner as he was shooting a three. One official said offensive foul. Another defensive. After a conference, the officials ruled the foul on Wagner and Towns avoided picking up his second foul. It was Wagner's third and Wizards coach Scott Brooks, who had used his challenge previously, drew a technical arguing the call.
It was Washington who built and kept an early lead. There was no run that stood out, the Wizards just kept piling points on top of points throughout the half. A three from Wagner late in the first quarter gave the Wizards their largest lead of the first half at 39-27. The Wolves would make it closer in the second � Towns four consecutive free throws following the Wagner foul was a big help � but could never quite take the lead. Josh Okogie provided his usual energy off the bench while Beal got his. The Wolves did commit 12 turnovers in the first half, leading to 19 Wizards points compared to eight for the Wolves off eight Wizards miscues. The Wizards led 76-73 at the half.
The Wolves offense slowed down in the third quarter as the Wizards held them to just 19 points. Beal also went to work in the quarter, scoring 16 of Washington's 29 points. Okogie was helpless in the face of Beal's array of moves while the Wolves lost traction offensively when their only healthy true point guard Jeff Teague was on the bench.
Things didn't get better to open the fourth as Wagner scored seven straight Wizards points and Washington opened up a 109-94 lead, prompting a timeout from Saunders. The Wolves never made a serious push since they couldn't get any stops, and Saunders yanked most of the starters with just under five minutes left to play. No doubt a decision made with Saturday's game in mind, a day the Wolves hope will erase the sting from this one.
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