Further proof came in Salt Lake City Saturday night:
When the Timberwolves defend, really defend, with aggression, energy and physical play — they can compete with anyone.
That brings us back to the Wolves' game with the Utah Jazz, owners of the best record in the NBA and a home record bordering on the ridiculous.
How's this for ridiculous: The 44-16 Jazz have lost four home games this season. Two have come to the Wolves. After the Wolves were porous for the first 12 minutes, they were all but impenetrable over the final 36. Down 17 early, and down 16 midway through the second quarter, the Wolves spent the rest of the game playing some of their best defense of the season in a 101-96 victory.
The Wolves pushed to a 92-81 lead with 7:06 left in the game on Anthony Edwards' drive.
Bojan Bogdanovic hit three 3-pointers in a 12-0 run that put the Jazz up a point with 3:41 left.
But Karl-Anthony Towns scored in the paint and D'Angelo Russell hit a shot. The Wolves led 96-93 with 1:17 left.
They did not trail again.
Towns hit one of two free throws with 15 seconds left to make it a four-point game.
Towns finished with 24 points. Edwards and Russell each had 23.
Utah, which scored 40 in the first quarter, 53 over the final three, got 30 points from Bogdanovic, and 18 from Mike Conley.
The Wolves turned 20 Jazz turnovers into 23 points.
The Jazz were able to take advantage of some lax first-quarter Wolves defense. Getting one open 3-pointer after another, the Jazz hit nearly as many 3-pointers in the first 12 minutes (9 for 15) as the Wolves had total field goals (10).
Five Jazz players — four of five starters and a reserve — hit at least one as the Jazz, up as many as 17 points midway through the quarter, took a 40-26 lead after the first quarter.
Included in that was a quick 11-0 run that took less than a minute and a half and ended with three straight 3-pointers.
By the time the second quarter started, it appeared the Wolves had come up to speed on the defensive end, finally fighting through screens, contesting shots and pushing the pace.
The Jazz missed their first four shots of the quarter and were held to just 6-for-21 shooting (2 for 10 on 3-pointers).
It's just that it took longer for the offense to get going. But, eventually it did.
Utah led by 16 coming out of a timeout with 3:56 left in the half.
At that point Edwards took over, scoring seven points as the Wolves pulled within 56-48 with 2:06 left in the half. After Jazz center Rudy Gobert hit two free throws to stop the run, Russell hit an eight-foot shot with 14.2 seconds left. It was then a 12-2 run for the Wolves who found themselves within just six at the break.
The third quarter started with more of the same, as the Wolves, down six, started the second half on a 20-7 run, with Edwards scoring eight and Towns scoring six. Edwards' 3-pointer with 4:53 left in the quarter put the Wolves up 72-65, marking a 32-9 run from the time the Wolves were down 16 in the second quarter.
That lead would grow as big as nine in the quarter. But the Wolves were still up eight, 82-74, entering the fourth, after outscoring Utah 56-34 over the second and third quarters.
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The Star Tribune did not travel for this game. This article was written using the television broadcast and video interviews before and/or after the game.
