DENVER _ Until Wednesday's frantic 105-103 loss at Pepsi Center, the Timberwolves hadn't played the Denver Nuggets since their fourth game of the season.
Turns out, not all that much has changed in the meantime.
The Nuggets trailed by 15 points late in the first quarter on that early November night and came back to win by three points after they delivered a decisive 33-14 third quarter.
Big blown leads and awful third quarters soon became themes for the season.
On Wednesday, the Wolves were outscored 32-24 in the third quarter _ and 59-42 over the second and third quarter _ and then the Nuggets hung on until the bitter end to win for the fifth time in seven games.
Trailing 101-91 with 3:49 left, the Wolves scored 12 of the next 14 points to tie the game at 103 with 58.3 points after Andrew Wiggins had missed three of four free throws with the game on the line.
Towns' tip-in basket after Wiggins had missed two consecutively brought the Wolves within 103-102 with 1:20 left and then Wiggins tied the game by missing one free throw and making the other with the 58 seconds left.
But Danilo Gallinari's desperate banked turnaround shot with 27 seconds left gave the Nuggets a 105-103 lead they wouldn't lose, not after Wiggins' driving layup was blocked and Zach LaVine's long 3-pointer just before the final buzzer missed as well.
Leading by 13 points in the second quarter and trailing by 10 early in the fourth quarter, the Wolves pulled with 87-83 with fewer than nine minutes remaining and then allowed the Nuggets the next six points.
Nuggets rookie Jamal Murray scored the first four of those and veteran Wilson Chandler the final two and quickly Denver led 93-83 with 7:22 left.
The last time these teams played, the Wolves started rookie Kris Dunn because Rubio sprained his elbow two games earlier.
Fully recovered from that sprained elbow, Rubio started Wednesday after he became the first NBA player since 2008 to record consecutive 10-assist, zero-turnover games.
His first-quarter turnover ended a turnover-free stretch that went back all the way to Friday's home game against Sacramento.
"I don't know, it's hard to tell," Rubio said when asked about what has changed to make him so efficient. "I'm just getting comfortable in the system and looking for my teammates. They're just the kind of games where you feel good out there."
The Nuggets' objective Wednesday soon became clear: Dare Rubio _ a 29-percent shooter from 3-point range � to shoot wide open corner 3-pointers until his arm tired.
Denver baited Rubio into that taking shot by refusing to send any defender near him and he complied, missing five of six 3-point attempts.
The Wolves led by 15 points late in the first quarter of that one at Target Center, but lost 102-99 after getting clobbered 33-14 in the third quarter.
This time, the Wolves led by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, a 37-24 lead that the Nuggets wiped out promptly with a 13-0 run that tied the game with fewer than six minutes remaining before halftime.
Big Nuggets center Nikola Jokic started the run with a nifty reverse layup and Murray and Chandler finished it with jump shots, Murray making it 37-35 with a 3-pointer with 5:245 left before Chandler tied the game shortly thereafter.
