MINNEAPOLIS _ The start of the Timberwolves' game with Milwaukee at Target Center Monday was delayed when a game official discovered one of the rims wasn't level.
As folks toiled to fix the problem, the Bucks took some extra shots. The Wolves, without a hoop to shoot at, did some extra calisthenics. Josh Okogie played hacky sack with a basketball. Eventually, both teams retreated back to the locker room.
Finally, at 7:59 _ nearly an hour past the slated starting time, and after both teams warmed up again _ take two.
As it turned out, it only delayed the inevitable.
The long, talented, athletic Bucks let the Wolves _ playing a second game without the suspended Karl-Anthony Towns _ hang around for most of the first half. But a 22-6 run early in the third quarter _ one started by Wes Matthews three and ended by a trey by Khris Middleton _ propelled the Bucks (5-2) to a 134-106 victory over the Wolves (4-2).
The Bucks presented many of the same matchup problems that Philadelphia did while handing the Wolves their other loss of this young season.
MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo played the part. He scored 34 points on 14-for-19 shooting, with 15 rebounds and six assists, in just 27 minutes. Khris Middleton had 26 and Eric Bledsoe had 22.
The Wolves were led by Andrew Wiggins, who scored 25 . Robert Covington scored 15 points. Fouled hard by Ersan Ilyasova late in the first half, Covington appeared to clutch his surgically-repaired right knee. He shot both free throws, but left the arena for the locker room. He did, however, return to play in the second half. He, Jordan Bell (12 points) and Shabazz Napier (10 points) all left the floor for the training room at different times Monday. Covington and Bell returned to play.
Jeff Teague scored the first basket of the second half, pulling the Wolves within five.
Then the Bucks took off. The Bucks shot 15-for-25 in the third quarter while out-scoring the Wolves (7-for-24) 38-25. Milwaukee led by as many as 21 before taking a 20-point lead into the fourth.
The Bucks' length affected the game on both ends of the floor. The Wolves shot 35.9% from the field and were out-scored 62-38 in the paint. The Bucks are the first Wolves opponent to shoot better than 50 percent, going 50-for-93 (53.8).
Even with the delay the Wolves were relatively late to the party as the Bucks opened the game strong. Minnesota was already down 10 just 4{ minutes into the game after Bledsoe scored to put the Bucks up 21-11.
Then the Wolves showed up.
With Covington hitting every shot he took in the quarter _ he was 4-for-4 overall and 3-for-3 on threes _ the Wolves turned up the defense and started scoring, putting together a 14-6 run to pull within 27-25 on Shabazz Napier's three with 1:18 left in the quarter. The two teams traded buckets until Antetokounmpo's put-back at the end of the quarter put Milwaukee up 31-27 entering the second.
Second quarter was similar.
The Bucks started strong, pushing the lead back to 10, 43-33, on Bledsoe's three-point play with 7:50 left in the half.
The Wolves rallied. Over the next five minutes Jordan Bell had six points in a 19-11 run that brought the Wolves within 54-52 on Wiggins' three-pointer with 2:47 left. Antetokounmpo drove the lane, right into Bell. Whistle. The initial call was a charge with 0.2 seconds left. The was a review, then a coach's challenge. Ultimately the call was reversed, the basket stood and Antetokounmpo was given a free throw, which he missed, and the Bucks led 64-57.
