MINNEAPOLIS _ All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns remains injured and fellow max-salary teammate Andrew Wiggins was too ill to report for work on Saturday. So the Timberwolves played on without either, all the way to a 94-88 loss to Cleveland that was the 12th in their past 13 games.
The Wolves scored the game's first basket, but didn't lead again until a fourth-quarter comeback when point guard Shabazz Napier's floater gave them a 78-77 lead with 6:40 left.
It didn't last, not on a night when nine Wolves players had at least one steal each and Cleveland committed 29 turnovers _ tied for a NBA high this season _ but won anyway.
Cavaliers rookie Darius Garland _ a point guard the Wolves coveted in last summer's draft _ scored five consecutive points that regained Cleveland the lead, at 86-80 with 2:30 left.
Included was a 3-point shot with 3:10 left that helped the Cavaliers find some separation and win for the fourth time in five games and fifth in their last eight after they started the season 5-19.
Cleveland drafted Garland fifth out of Vanderbilt last June and the Wolves moved up to acquire Jarrett Culver sixth out of Texas Tech.
Playing his third game in three nights from Sacramento to Des Moines to Minneapolis, Wolves rookie Kelan Martin's 3-pointer pull his team within 90-87 with 16.5 seconds left. But Cavs guard Collin Sexton's two free throws made it a five-point game again with 14.5 seconds left.
The Wolves played without Towns and Wiggins while Cleveland did the same without veteran star Kevin Love, who watched from the arena where he played six seasons after he scored 30 points in Friday afternoon's loss at Boston.
Towns now has missed six consecutive games because of a sprained left knee and the Wolves' only victory in those six games was Thursday's double-overtime victory at Sacramento that ended an 11-game losing streak.
Wolves coach Ryan Saunders said Towns is becoming more active daily, but isn't ready to play just yet.
"I know it's not the answer everyone wants to hear, but he is progressing," Saunders said. "It's not just saying that. He's taking steps: He's out there shooting more, getting more lift on his shot. We look forward to having him back."
The Cavs arrived at Target Center Saturday night for the second game in a set of back-to-backs that started with Friday afternoon's 129-117 loss at Boston.
Until then, the now 10-22 Cavaliers had won three consecutive games by beating Atlanta, Memphis and Charlotte for their longest winning streak of the season.
Before that, they had lost 10 of 11 games, a stretch not unlike that 11-game losing streak that the Wolves started way before Thanksgiving with a victory at San Antonio.
Cleveland reversed course after Love grew healthier and his team began playing through him more. Rookie NBA coach John Beilein also has grown more comfortable at age 66 coaching the pro game and a young team rebuilding in the post-LeBron James era after a 27-year college career. That career included successful stops at Michigan and West Virginia.
"I knew there would be a lot to learn," said Beilein, whose top assistant is former Wolves assistant coach and former NBA head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. "The game is so much quicker. You've just got to get yourself into a rhythm where guys know what they're doing and they react off it. You certainly can't control the pace of the game like you can in college basketball.
"I think I'm adjusting pretty well there. I like what we're doing the last few weeks."
The Cavaliers led 7-2, 20-10 and 27-21 by the end of the first quarter and led by 12 points early in the second quarter before they took a 49-43 advantage into halftime.
The Wolves returned home for games Saturday against the Cavaliers and Monday against Brooklyn after they completed a four-game Western trip than spanned Christmas.
They didn't hold a morning shootaround Saturday after they flew home from Sacramento Friday. But the holiday week was no time for rest for Martin, who played five minutes Thursday in Sacramento, played 32 minutes on Friday for the Wolves' G League team in Iowa and then played 29 minutes Saturday at Target Center.
