The Minnesota Timberwolves (9-21) lost their 21st game of the season on Sunday night as they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder (19-12) by the final score of 112-100.
Karl-Anthony Towns plows the way for Minnesota
The Timberwolves were led by Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 26 points and eight rebounds. Andrew Wiggins added 23 points and three rebounds in the losing effort. Other Timberwolves who scored in double-digits are Zach LaVine (16) and Shabazz Muhammad (15).
Russell Westbrook was unstoppable
The Thunder got a massive game from Russell Westbrook, who led both teams with 31 points, 15 assists, and seven rebounds. Steven Adams added 22 points and Enes Kanter chipped in 20 points to aid the Thunder. Westbrook now has 25 double-doubles, enough to lead the league in the category. He entered the game tied with James Harden with 24 double-double games.
“What he is doing is remarkable,” Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game about Westbrook. “Both he and Harden do it night after night when every team is gearing up and planning what they can to slow him down. You’re not going to stop them and your whole team has to be committed to stopping him. That’s who Russell has been: He has been an attack player since he has come into the league."
Westbrook entered the game with a three-game streak of scoring 40-plus points, but was unable to get to that total, ending his impressive run . He has 14 triple-doubles on the season, which is almost as many as the entire NBA has in the first 30 games of the season.
The Thunder superstar continued to rack up points late after Thibodeau elected to send his second-team lineup onto the floor with the game out of reach, while Westbrook remained in the game for the Thunder.
The Timberwolves led 27-23 after the first quarter, but got outscored 34-26 in the second quarter, thanks to a Semaj Christon 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Thunder, and never caught back up, as they never led in the second half after leading by seven points during the first half.
Quick Hits
This was the first ever Christmas Day game for the Timberwolves, as in their 27-year history they have always been watching from home.
Only two Timberwolves did not play in the game, as Cole Aldrich and Brandon Rush both sat out due to a coaches decision. The Thunder also had two sit out due to coaches decision, Nick Collison, and Josh Huestis.
Looking Ahead
The Timberwolves will next be in action on Monday night when they return to the Twin Cities to host the Atlanta Hawks. The Thunder, meanwhile, have a day off before heading to Florida on Tuesday to face the Miami Heat.