MINNEAPOLIS _ The Timberwolves finished their four-game season series with Western Conference rival Oklahoma City on Wednesday night at Target Center winners three times after a comparatively easy 104-88 victory that could mean something come playoff time in April.
The series' first three games decided by a total of nine points, the Wolves led by as many as 16 points in the game's final three minutes after a decisive third quarter changed a series so close until Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau finished Wednesday's game with his deep reserves on the floor.
They won their third consecutive game and for the 10th time in their last 13 games, before a fifth consecutive sellout crowd, on a night when they held their opponent under 100 points for a seventh consecutive game.
They also did so after starting point guard Jeff Teague returned after a seven-game injury absence. He played 26 minutes in his first game back and more-than-capable replacement Tyus Jones played 19 points off the bench.
They did so, too, despite Thunder star Russell Westbrook's spirited 38-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist performance.
Jimmy Butler led the Wolves with a 26-point, 8-assist, 7-rebounds performance that included an 11-for-12 night from the free-throw line. Karl-Anthony Towns delivered another double-double with an 18-point, 12-rebound game and Andrew Wiggins scored 19.
The Wolves announced their fifth consecutive sellout crowd at 18,978. It's their first such five-game stretch since late in the 2003-04, the last time the Wolves made the playoffs with Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell aimed that season at reaching the Western Conference finals for the franchise's first and only time.
The Wolves led by as many as 10 points and never trailed by more than three in the first half and then took command with a 29-18 third quarter in which they changed the game with both stifling defense and a 16-4 run led by an assertive Butler.
The Wolves held Thunder to 6-for-21 shooting _ that's 28.6 percent _ during a quarter when Butler scored 10 points, including six of them without a miss at the free-throw line.
They trailed 51-49 two minutes into the second half when Teague started that 16-4 run with his only 3-pointer of the night and Butler ended it four minutes later with two more made free throws.
That gave them a 66-55 lead with 5:36 left in the third quarter.
The Wolves pushed their lead to as much as 86-71 with eight minutes left and 88-75 after Karl-Anthony Towns' putback slam of Butler's missed shot came with 6:08 left.
Westbrook's three-point play _ his 36th and 37th points _ brought the Thunder within single digits at 92-83 with 4:10 left, but those nine points were the closest it would get.
Butler's desperation three near the end of the 24-second clock answered right back and then after a stop on the defensive end, Teague's pass found Taj Gibson free under the basket for a slam dunk and a 96-83 lead with 3:26 left.
The two teams ended their four-game season series Wednesday, a week before the Wolves even play Western Conference foe Houston for the first time.
The first three games were decided by a total of nine points after the Wolves and Thunder played twice in five days in October and then again on Dec. 1, just six weeks into the season.
The Wolves won the first one 115-113 in Oklahoma City on Wiggins' desperation three-point heave at the buzzer and then won back at Target Center 119-116 later that same week.
The Thunder won for the first time with a 111-107 victory that first day in December.
"We've had some great, great games against them," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "We played three times in a short timeframe. Because both teams were dealing with new rosters, it was a feeling-out process. We very easily could have won all three and they could have very easily won all three."
The Thunder are integrating stars Paul George and Carmelo Anthony alongside reigning league MVP Westbrook while the Wolves are trying to find the right fit between newly added veterans Butler, Teague, Gibson, Jamal Crawford and young stars Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
"They've been great games," Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. "Hard-fought games down to the end in each one. There have been some unusual things."
Wiggins' game-winner after the final buzzer was one, particularly after the league's 2-Minute Report the next day determined Towns set an illegal screen that sprung Wiggins to make the final shot and also found Thibodeau illegally signaled for a timeout he didn't have.
The last time the teams played, Towns hit heads with Thunder forward Andre Roberson as he turned around after scoring under the basket and started to head back down the court.
Both players went to the locker room to get stitches that closed wounds on their heads.
The Wolves led 12-2 early before Westbrook led the Thunder back to tie the score at 15 thanks to a 13-3 run in which the triple-double machine provided the pulse that led Oklahoma City back.
Befitting their so evenly matched first three games, the Thunder and Wolves played to a 23-all tie after a quarter and 47-all tie at halftime before the Wolves produced their 29-18 third quarter.
