The Denver Nuggets used a come-from-behind approach to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-103 on Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center. It was a game indicative of how the Wolves season has gone so far.
The Timberwolves took an early lead, as when the first quarter expired, they were up 31-22, thanks to 15 points from Andrew Wiggins and 10 points from Gorgui Dieng. That would be all for the Wolves leading, as Denver rallied to tie the game at 49 by halftime then outscored Minnesota 32-24 in the third quarter before narrowly holding onto the lead late.
Gallinari's Late Basket Sinks the Wolves
They took the final lead with 27 seconds left when Danilo Gallinari made a desperate turnaround shot to put them up by two points, which would be all that they needed as the Wolves were unable to convert on multiple chances on their last possession, including a Zach LaVine dunk that was blocked, and a Wiggins three-pointer, which was off the mark.
It was a similar ending to the first meeting between the teams, which came back in November. In that game, the Wolves again had a first quarter lead but ended up blowing it in the middle quarters, which has quickly become a theme with this young team.
Top Scorers from Each Team
The Nuggets were led by Gallinari, who scored 18 points, had five rebounds and had two assists. Wilson Chandler added 17 points, while Nikola Jokic scored 16 points. Other Nuggets in double digits were Gary Harris pouring in 17, and Emmanuel Mudlay with 11.
The Timberwolves also had some nice individual performances, as Wiggins finished with 25 points, and Dieng had 20 points. Reigning Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns netted his first career triple-double, with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Other Wolves who were in double digits for points were Zach LaVine putting up 17, and Ricky Rubio with 18 on the night. There were four Wolves who did not play in the game, Jordan Hill, Tyus Jones, Adrian Payne, and Brandon Rush, all of whom were coaches decisions.
Rubio Struggled in the Game
One notable streak that ended was Rubio's streak of going without a turnover. Before tonight, he hadn't turned the ball over since Friday night's game, but a turnover in the third quarter put an end to that streak. This was his first time facing Denver this year, as he missed the first game with a sprained elbow suffered a few games earlier.
In addition, Rubio struggled from three-point range, as he took seven shots from beyond the arc, but made just one, which won't help his season percentage, which was 29 percent entering the game.
The Wolves will next be in action on Friday when they host the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, are also off until Friday, when they will host the Philadelphia 76ers.
That will wrap up 2016 for both teams, as neither will play again until 2017.