NEW ORLEANS _ A Timberwolves team that seemingly couldn't win a close game last season now can't lose one.
Their 104-98 victory Wednesday at New Orleans makes them 5-3 this young season and all five victories have been nail-biters.
On Wednesday, three-time All Star Jimmy Butler's clutch three-point play with 34.7 seconds left proved to be the winner on a night when they led by 12 points with eight minutes left and by six points with 4:11 left and almost let it get away.
Almost.
They held on once again, this time despite Pelicans star center DeMarcus Cousins' 35-point, nine-rebound, six-assist game that included five made 3-pointers.
They did so, too, despite the fact Wolves young star Karl-Anthony Towns scored just two points and played just 22{ minutes because of persistent foul trouble.
His two points came on a put-back slam that gave the Wolves a six-point lead with 4:51 left in a game that teammate Taj Gibson predicted would be like "wrestling alligators" while the Wolves big men tried to contain the Pelicans' tandem of Cousins and star Anthony Davis (24 points, 10 rebounds, six assists).
The Wolves led by 12 points with eight minutes and by six points with 4:11 remaining before the Pelicans scored six unanswered points and tied the game not once, but eventually three times.
The last was at 98 with fewer than two minutes left and they had the chance to take the lead in the final minute, but reserve guard Tony Allen missed a layup and Towns grabbed the rebound, setting up Butler (23 points) for his three-point play.
Towns played just seven first-half minutes after he picked up his third foul with nearly nine minutes still left in the second quarter.
Backup center Gorgui Dieng finished the first half for him and Towns returned to start the second half. But he picked up his fourth foul trying to defend Davis near the basket with just 3{ minutes gone in the third quarter.
Out went Towns, back in quickly came Dieng.
When Towns left, the Pelicans were well on their way to a 15-4 run that started the second half and quickly took them from an 11-point halftime deficit to a score tied at 69 with 7:17 still left in the third quarter.
With him on the sideline, the Wolves finished the third quarter by scoring the final six points that pushed their lead back to six points, 83-77.
When Towns returned to start the fourth quarter, the Wolves scored seven of the first eight points and they led 90-78 with fewer than 10 minutes left.
They still led 92-80 with 8:07 left before the Pelicans sparked by Allen's energetic play scored eight unanswered points to pull within 92-88 with fewer than five minutes left.
