MINNEAPOLIS _ Otto Porter Jr. hit a mid-range jumper, out of a timeout, with 25 seconds left.
That was the final blow in another Timberwolves fourth-quarter crumble. Up by 13 earlier in the game, up by eight early in the fourth quarter, the Wolves lost to the Wizards, 92-89 at Target Center Tuesday night.
Porter scored a game-high 22 points, hitting four of eight 3-pointers, to lead the way for Washington, which got 49 of its 91 points off the bench. Kelly Oubre scored 16 off the bench while Jodie Meeks and Mike Scott each had 12 for the Wizards bench, which out-scored the Wolves reserves 49-11.
The Wolves? They had all five starters play 37 or more minutes _ three played 40 or more _ with a game in New Orleans Wednesday night.
After Porter's make, out of a timeout, Andrew Wiggins had two shots, missing both.
The loss dropped the Wolves, who went 2-2 on the four-game homestand, to 12-9.
Minnesota was led by Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 20 points with 17 rebounds. All five Wolves starters were in double figures, including Taj Gibson (16 points, 11 rebounds), Jimmy Butler (17 points, 10 assists) and Wiggins, who had 13 points. Tyus Jones, getting his second straight start with Jeff Teague still injured, had 12 points and seven assists.
After a Wizards miss, Aaron Brooks hit a wide-open Jamal Crawford for a 26-footer from the top of the key and the Timberwolves' lead was eight with 9:43 left.
Again the Wizards rallied, pulling within 80-77 on Jodie Meeks' 3 with 7:11 left.
With 4{ minutes left Oubre scored to pull Washington within a point. At the other end, after a Wolves miss _ and a Washington turnover _ Jones hit a 3-pointer with 4:11 left. Bradley Beal made one of two free throws with 3:53 left. Then, after the teams traded misses, Jason Scott hit a 3-pointer with 2:45 left that tied the game at 87.
It was still tied when Porter hit the game-winner.
Jones had two points and three assists as the Wolves opened the game up 12-4. Out of a timeout, the Wolves lead climbed as the Wizards struggle to make a shot. By the time Jones made two free throws with 5:19 left in the quarter the Wolves were up 19-8 and all five starters had scored.
When Wiggins, who scored 11 first-quarter points, hit one of two free throws late in the quarter, the lead was up to 12, before the Wizards scored the quarter's final five points, including a buzzer-beating 3 from Jodie Meeks.
Still, the Wolves shot 11 for 19, hit half their eight 3-pointers and held the Wizards to 10 for 24 shooting. Jones had four points and five assists.
That 5-0 run to end the first must have got the Wizards going. Because, by the time Meeks hit another 3-pointer with 9:30 left in the half, Washington was on a 16-2 run and led by two points.
That ran ended at 18-2 with about 4 minutes gone in the quarter.
At that point the starters returned. And while the rest of the quarter was ragged on both sides, the Wolves ended the half on a 19-7 run _ with Gibson scoring eight _ to lead 51-43 at the half. The half ended with Washington shooting 8 for 22 in the quarter, and at 39.1-percent (18-for-46) for the half.
Up Just five with 8:29 left in the third quarter, out of a timeout, the Wolves went on a quick 9-2 spurt to take a 65-53 lead on Butler's 3-pointer with 5:55 left, forcing a Wizards timeout.
That timeout cooled the Wolves. Over the final half of the fourth quarter the Wizards went on a 15-6 run, led by Porter, who had seven of those.
