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Timberwolves stay hot atop Western Conference, top Knicks 117-100

Jerry Zgoda, Star Tribune on

Published in Basketball

MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves' decision two summers ago to go big in an NBA seemingly shrinking by the season now has them 10-3 and best in the West after Monday's 117-100 victory over New York at Target Center.

It was their ninth victory in their last 10 games.

On Saturday in New Orleans, big Karl-Anthony Towns hit the game winner in the final seconds.

On Monday, bigger Rudy Gobert provided the pulse with a dunking demonstration on a night he went 7-for-7 from the field but 2-for-7 from the free-throw line.

Gobert played 26 minutes, scored 16 points and had seven rebounds and two blocked shots before he was removed with three minutes left and the game assured.

The Wolves at 6-0 remained unbeaten at home on Monday after a five-game road trip in which they went 4-1 out west and down south.

 

The Wolves' expensive July 2022 blockbuster trade paired Gobert with Towns, an experiment that floundered last season partly because of injury and unfamiliarity.

Now nearly a month into the season, the Wolves' size and skill has helped push them to that 10-3, first-place season start. Towns was one of four other Wolves who scored in double figures Monday on a night when the team outscored the Knicks 35-19 in a decisive third quarter.

They led by as many as 22 points after they held a 58-56 halftime lead.

Towns finished with 20 points while Anthony Edwards led all Wolves with 23 while Mike Conley and reserve Nickell-Alexander Walker each had 11.

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