MINNEAPOLIS _ Friday morning, long before Minnesota took on the Milwaukee Bucks at Target Center, Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau was asked about all the young talent that would be assembled on the court.
Thibodeau said it went past just this game. "I really think the league, in general, is in a great place," he said. "The pipeline is full."
Much of that talent was on display Friday in an entertaining, athletic game.
This time it was the Wolves' youth that was served in a 116-99 victory.
In a game that featured the top two picks of the 2014 draft, Andrew Wiggins outscored Jabari Parker 31-20; his driving slam, which turned into a three-point play, with 2:20 left, put the Wolves up 18 and put the game away.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 16 rebounds, Zach LaVine scored 24 and Shabazz Muhammad came off the bench to score 22 points in 18 minutes.
In a game in which both offenses were hard to stop all night, that was enough.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 25 points with seven rebounds and five assists for the Bucks to round out the young talent on display.
Both teams shot better than 50 percent. The two squads combined for 52 assists, with all five Wolves starters getting at least three.
The Wolves were up seven at the half, and doubled that lead to 14 entering the fourth quarter. The Wolves pushed that lead to 19 early in the fourth. The Bucks scored six straight points to cut it to 13. A spinning layup by Parker with 7:08 left cut it to 11.
Nemanja Bjelica hit a 3-pointer. Then, after Mirza Teletovic hit two free throws, LaVine beat the shot clock with a 3-pointer to put the Wolves up 101-86 with less than six minutes left.
A bench that has struggled much of the season came alive in the first quarter, with Muhammad (10) and Bjelica (three) combining for 13 points.
Towns started strong, with six points and five rebounds in the first quarter. Wiggins (eight) and LaVine (seven) also scored.
The Wolves built a 10-point lead early in the quarter. It hovered there for a while until late, when Muhammad scored on the break, then he and Bjelica hit consecutive 3-pointers as the lead grew to 34-19 before the Bucks scored at the end of the quarter to cut the lead to 13.
Muhammad's basket at the start of the second quarter pushed the lead to 15. The Bucks scored four straight, then Muhammad hit a 3. Moments later, the Bucks went on an 8-0 run capped by Antetokounmpo's fast-break slam, to pull within six.
The Wolves were unable to put any more distance between themselves and the Wolves the rest of the half, despite Wiggins scoring five straight Wolves points late. Two Antetokounmpo free throws in the closing seconds cut the Wolves lead to 55-48 at halftime.
The Wolves built on that lead in the third.
Midway through the quarter the Bucks pulled within nine, 71-62, on Antetokounmpo's basket. The Wolves responded with an 12-4 run that included another Muhammad 3 and eight points by Towns, one coming on the break after he blocked a Michael Beasley shot at the other end. Towns hit one of two free throws with 1:26 left in the third and pushed the Wolves lead to 83-66.
But Teletovic hit a 3 and Antetokounmpo scored on the break around two free throws by Wiggins to draw within 85-71 heading into the fourth quarter.
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