MINNEAPOLIS _ LeBron James, meet Tyus Jones.
NBA, meet the Timberwolves.
If introductions were needed before the Wolves' 127-99 rout of Cleveland on Monday, they might not be anymore.
On Monday morning, the greatest player on the planet refuted the notion the Wolves are a young team just waiting to arrive. James did so by ticking off Andrew Wiggins and "Tyler Jones" as two of the few youthful players remaining after a summertime makeover that added veterans Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, Jeff Teague and Jamal Crawford.
"It's not the first time," Jones said with a grin before Monday's game in regards to James calling him Tyler.
Maybe it'll be the last after Jones' rising second-quarter dunk while James closed hard unsuccessfully on him was the signature moment on the Wolves' biggest statement victory so far this season.
Leading James, Kevin Love and the Cavaliers by as many as 41 points in the third quarter, the Wolves open the second half of their season by winning for the ninth time in 12 games.
They did so by beating a Cavs team that won the NBA title two seasons ago from start to finishing, never trailing in a game when they led by 27 points at halftime and surpassed 100 points before the third quarter was over.
They did so with Wiggins doing what he always does against the team that drafted him first overall in 2014 and then traded him to Minnesota in a deal for Love before Wiggins ever played a game: He clobbered them with a 25-point performance despite being one of four starters who didn't play the entire fourth quarter.
Teammate Karl-Anthony Towns was the only starter on the floor in that fourth quarter and he stayed there long enough to deliver yet another 19-point, 12-rebound double-double while Wolves forward Taj Gibson added one of his own, 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Butler's 21-point, 9-assist, 8-rebound night approached a triple double in just 27 minutes played, and it came while he also was most responsible for holding James to a 10-point, 8-rebound, 5-assist game.
James, Love and the Cavaliers' other starters also did not played the fourth quarter.
Neither did Cleveland starting point guard Isaiah Thomas, who was ejected midway through the third quarter after his blow to the chin of Wiggins driving to the basket was ruled a flagrant foul, type 2.
Thomas played his third game back from a hip injury that ended his season prematurely a year ago. In his first two games back, the Cavaliers averaged 129 points a game.
On Monday, they scored a mere 18 points in the first quarter and no more than their 32 in the fourth quarter, long after the game had been decided.
The Wolves finished the game with a combination of second-unit and little used players in the game.
When Shabazz Muhammad entered with four minutes left, he was greeted by cheers, applause and a standing ovation in some Target Center sections. They were delighted when he scored two quick baskets.
Monday's game _ the Cavaliers' only visit this season, unless it's the NBA Finals, of course _ was announced as the Wolves' four consecutive sellout crowd (18,978) and their seventh of the season.
The last time the Wolves had four consecutive sellouts was March 2012, when Love and a rookie named Ricky Rubio provided hope for the future.
On Monday, Jones brought back his teammates on the bench and the capacity crowd to their feet not long after James had rejected harshly his attempted layup.
With 2 { minutes left before halftime and his team leading 16 points, Jones stole the ball on the Wolves' defensive end, pushed it up the floor and, as he did Wednesday in Brooklyn for the first time as a pro, rose up high and slammed the ball down hard as James sailed past him harmlessly.
