Timberwolves Sail Away With Win Over Lakers
The Timberwolves defeated the Lakers 86 to 77 with new starting lineup.
Coach Haskell has been searching for the formula to unlock the potential of a wildly talented and athletic Timberwolves roster all season and may have found it with a newly unveiled starting lineup. Jordan Green was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time this season and rewarded that nod by leading the team in scoring with 22 points, grabbing 9 boards, connecting on 4 assists and blocking 2 shots.
The Timberwolves were hot out of the gate taking a big league on 4 early three point field goals, 2 from Cam Jett, and 1 each from Shea Irish and Mike Tillman. That run was punctuated with an exclamation point when Jett found Demani Smith for a fast break dunk that got the crowd to its feet and forced a timeout from the Lakers. Jett found open teammates all day long to the tune of 7 assists including that highlight reel pass and another physics defying pass that threaded the needle of 3 defenders to find Shea Irish for a lay in. He scored 13 points on 3 for 5 from beyond the arc to go with the great passing day.
The Lakers went on a run of their own late in the half to cut the lead to 39-32, but that was the closest they would get as the offense of the home team was just too much. All five starters ended the contest in double figures in scoring, led by Green and followed by Smith, with 19, who tacked on a double double with 16 rebounds and added 3 more blocks to his resume. Shea Irish cruised to 16 points with a diverse portfolio of scoring as he connected on 4 three point field goals and was the recipient of two dimes from Jett on perfectly executed basket cuts. Mike Tillman put up 11 on 3 for 4 from long distance to add to the outstanding shooting day from the Timberwolves.
The starting lineup shot 13 for 29 from three point land and accounted for 18 assists.
The Timberwolves next play on Wednesday, December 6th versus the Herkimer Generals at home.