SALT LAKE CITY _ The Timberwolves lost on opening night to a San Antonio team missing injured Kawhi Leonard and last week lost lopsidedly to a Golden State team that didn't have Kevin Durant.
On Monday in Salt Lake City, opportunity rapped again and this time the Wolves thumped a Utah team that played its second consecutive game without injured star center Rudy Gobert, 109-98.
The Wolves' Jeff Teague dominated a point-guard matchup with Ricky Rubio, the former Wolf whose trade to Utah last summer brought the Wolves a 2018 first-round draft pick and the cap space to sign Teague to a three-year, $57 million contract.
Teague's 22 points were one shy of a season high and he also made four of seven 3-point attempts on a night when Rubio missed all six 3-pointers he attempted, went 1-for-7 from the field and finished the game watching the final minutes on the bench.
The Jazz cut a 26-point Wolves lead to 105-94 with 2:22 left, but couldn't get any closer.
The Wolves' 109 points were a club-record 12th consecutive 100-point game. Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns became the second player in NBA history, after Dwight Howard, to reach 3,000 points and 2,000 rebounds before his 22nd birthday.
