NBA: Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves Hit a High Note Against Utah Jazz
In front of an energized home crowd Friday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves shot an impressive 55 percent from the floor en route to a 122-101 victory over the Utah Jazz. Kevin Love scored 24 points in the win, and Michael Beasley added 23.
Friday marked the second consecutive game Minnesota has won by 20+ points, and it was only the fourth time the Wolves have strung together back-to-back wins this season.
"If we play like this, I think we'll win the rest of our games by 20 points," Minnesota center Darko Milicic said post-game.
Wolves fans are probably thinking one thing: we wish this would have happened sooner.
Nevertheless, it's happening; the Timberwolves' lineup is meshing for success.
The Target Center boasted its second-largest attendance of the year for Jonny Flynn bobble head night. The fans kept up their hype for Love, who finished his 53rd consecutive game with a double-double (he finished the contest with 12 rebounds).
For the second time in a row, the third quarter proved positive rather than negative for the Midwest ball club. Minnesota went on a 29-6 scoring run to pull ahead dramatically.
Rookie Wes Johnson has been quiet the past several games, scoring only six points against the Jazz. Those points came from a 100 percent performance from behind the three-point line, though. Johnson, Love, Beasley and Flynn each went two-for-two from downtown.
Utah simply couldn't get a hold on Minnesota offensively. The Jazz committed 20 turnovers to the Wolves' 14, and they shot only 63 percent from the charity stripe. Utah's leading scorers came from the bench, with Gordon Hayward and C.J. Miles scoring 18 and 15 points, respectively.
"Minnesota played like they were the ones fighting for the playoff spot tonight," Jazz center (and former member of the Timberwolves' lineup) Al Jefferson said. "We didn’t."
The Timberwolves' win snapped a 20-game losing streak against Midwest Division foes, dating back to Dec. 14, 2009.
Minnesota will begin a three-game road trip, facing Golden State Sunday evening, while the Jazz travel to Chicago.
