MEMPHIS _ Beginning a new season in which their accomplished and rich coach seeks consistency and 48-minute performance, the Timberwolves opened the Tom Thibodeau era with a careening 102-98 loss at Memphis on Wednesday night at FedEx Forum.
Before the Wolves finished their second season opener in Memphis in the last three years, they led 20-3 early and trailed by five points in the third quarter and led again by five points in the fourth quarter before they allowed the undermanned Grizzlies a crucial 7-0 run in the game's final 90 seconds.
The Grizzlies played without injured potential starters Tony Allen, Chandler Parsons and veteran forward Brandan Wright as well. But they compensated by eventually finding the pace of play new coach David Fizdale wants his team to adopt and by trouncing the Wolves in a category that vexed them last season under Sam Mitchell.
On Wednesday, the Grizzlies recovered from a horrid start by making 11 3-pointers, six more than the Wolves managed on a night when Andrew Wiggins (25) and Karl-Anthony Towns (21) combined for 46 of their points.
But crucial were two free throws that Wiggins missed with his team trailing 94-93 with 1:13 left.
From there, the Grizzlies scored the next four points to complete a 7-0 run that gave them a 98-93 lead with 24 seconds left from which the Wolves never recovered.
Zach LaVine's 3-point shot brought the Wolves within 96-98 with 14.8 seconds left, but Mike Conley's two free throws a second later secured Memphis the victory.
The Wolves started their season and the Thibodeau era by making eight of their first 10 shots from the field and building leads of 9-0 and 20-3 before the Grizzlies knew it.
Towns scored five of those nine and Wiggins the other four while Memphis just one of its first six shots before it counterpunched back, unleashing the beginning of that 3-point barrage and offering an 8-0 run of their own included consecutive three-pointers by Conley and Gasol.
Those two 3s helped cut the deficit to single digits. By first quarter's end, the Wolves early 20-3 lead was just 32-29.
By the first half's final five minutes, the Grizzlies had tied the game at 45 by making seven 3-pointers already before the Wolves pushed back.
By halftime, the Wolves led 59-50. By the third quarter's opening moments, they led 61-50 before the Grizzlies once again hit back, scoring 16 unanswered points before the Wolves finally answered back when Wiggins scored three consecutive baskets with seven minutes left in the third.
The Grizzlies hired Fizdale away from Miami in May to replace Dave Joerger and he promised to quicken the grindhouse Grizzlies pace and space their offense as well, bringing their methods into the 21st century.
When Memphis was forced to open the season without Parsons, Allen or Wright, someone asked Fizdale before Wednesday's game if he wanted his team to lessen its pace.
"Why?" he asked.
Well, to account for the three injuries and a diminished lineup.
"We've got to go," he said. "We've got to play our game. We're establishing an identity right now. I'm not going to nitpick for wins and compromise wheat we do. Our game has to be good enough. That's the trap that they've fallen in over the years when they wanted to play faster. Every lineup, every guy plays the same way.
"It's obvious I got to get the ball to the right place because I have less 'superstar' talent, but we're going to play at our speed."
That speed produced Wednesday's bounty of three-pointers made and the Grizzlies' spirited comebacks.
