Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle #30 gets tied up by Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins #22 and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett #21 in the second quarter. Not until Sunday did it occur to me this is the very building where Flip Saunders began his coaching career, even though I pass it going to and from Wolves and Lynx media availability.
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“He was explaining to me something about playing tomorrow that will really help me a lot”, Towns said. “Our defense was the key today”.
As in Kevin Martin.
“I enjoy the process of getting into a young man’s head and telling him what this league is all about and trying to mold him to the player I think he can be, and taking his input as well”, Scott said.
Towns’ performance was the first double-double game by a Wolves rookie in his National Basketball Association debut and his 12 rebounds were the most by a Wolf in his National Basketball Association debut as well. You didn’t have to truly know Flip Saunders to get a sense of his humanity. “It’s awesome with how our week has gone”.
When Lou Williams somehow missed a 4-foot runner at the buzzer, Minnesota hugged and celebrated a fortunate break in a cathartic victory.
Kobe Bryant scores 24, but the Lakers fell apart in the second half against Minnesota. “That’s a shot Lou knocks down pretty regularly especially in practice”.
The Lakers welcome back Kobe Bryant, who only played in 35 games last season after appearing in just six contests the year prior to that.
No. 2 pick D’Angelo Russell from Ohio State had four points and three turnovers in a quiet debut for the Lakers. This is ironic because for the Lakers to succeed, Bryant must take a back seat to the younger players.
“You just got to thank the world for him”, LaVine said.
Rubio gave the Timberwolves the lead at 101-99 on a jumper with 6:11 remaining, capping a 19-6 surge. He just hopes they play freely on offense and make strides defensively in his system after ranking as the worst defensive team in the league previous year. “I love the three-point shot but it has to come in the flow”. “I just felt good out there”.
Trailing by 16 points in the first half, the Wolves limited the Lakers to 3-for-20 shooting to start the fourth quarter, during a stretch when the notoriously spotty-shooting Rubio went 4-for-4.
National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver attended the game and spoke to the Timberwolves in their locker room before the contest. “That said, many of Saunders” coaches in Washington, like Randy Wittman, Don Zierden, Sam Cassell, and his son Ryan Saunders stayed and were part of the 2013-14 team that advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Instead, Scott chose Russell, whose play mirrored the rest of the team’s work in progress. Nine times out of 10, he hits that.
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The Timberwolves comes into the season after winning 16 games and the draft lottery this season and they took Karl-Anthony Towns with that pick.
