MEMPHIS, Tenn. _ Losing records aside, both teams entered FedExForum Arena here on something of a roll.
Memphis had won nine of 15, two straight and three of four. The Wolves? With a two game winning streak _ their first since late November _ and having won two out of three.
But, in an arena that always seems to cause the Timberwolves problems, it was Minnesota that got cooled off in a 119-112 loss.
Officially, this will go down as the team's biggest blown lead of the season. The Wolves used a 12-0 run to take a 14-point second-quarter lead, only to see that, eventually, evaporate.
Another 10-0 run put the Wolves up eight, 94-86, on Jeff Teague's steal and bucket with 8:33 left.
But the rest: Memphis.
With the backcourt of Dillon Brooks (28 points) and Ja Morant (25 points) leading the way, the Grizzlies closed the game on a 33-20 run over the final 8 { minutes, sealing the sweep of the three-game season series.
Down four, Robert Covington converted on a three-point play with 1:06 left. But, at the other end, as he did all fourth quarter, Morant drove down the lane to score to put the game away.
Four of five Wolves players scored in double figures, led by Jarrett Culver, who had a career-high 24. Covington had 17, Andrew Wiggins 15 and Gorgui Dieng 11. Teague had 18 off the bench.
But the problem was slowing the Grizzlies.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 21, with 11 coming in the final 12 minutes. Jae Crowder had 12.
The Wolves started the first quarter cold, but warmed up quickly.
Minnesota missed its first four shots and was down 6-4 early before Covington's four-point play kick-started an 11-2 run that put the Wolves up 15-8 on Wiggin's put-back.
The Grizzlies responded with a 12-7 run fueled by Brooks to pull within 22-20 on Jackson, Jr.'s three-point play with about 3 minutes left in the quarter.
But Noah Vonleh and Teague each scored twice as the Wolves pushed that lead to five by quarter's end. The Wolves shot 58% in the quarter, with balance; three Wolves scored six points in the quarter and three others scored four.
The Wolves held a one-point lead early in the second when Brooks picked up his third foul and had to leave the game.
Moments later, up four, the Wolves, with mainly reserves on the floor, went on a run.
Up two, Naz Reid scored on a put-back and was fouled with 6:06 left in the half. Coming out of the time out he hit the free throw, the first three points in a 12-0 run that included a 3-pointer by Reid, four points by Culver and put-back by Keita Bates-Diop that made it 55-41 with 4:34 left, forcing another Memphis time out.
But, with most of the Wolves starters back in the game, the Grizzlies ended the half on a 10-1 run, pulling within 56-51 at the break. The Wolves went 0-for-5 with three turnovers in that stretch.
By the time the third quarter ended that lead was pretty much gone.
That 10-1 run to end the third became a 14-4 run into the fourth as the Grizzlies pulled within two.
The Wolves held the lead, and even built it until quarter's end.
That's when the Grizzlies turned a six-point Wolves lead to two, 84-82, by scoring the final four points of the quarter. The last two came from former Wolves player Tyus Jones, a corner jumper.
