Wolves coach Ryan Sauders talked about it before Wednesday's game with the Orlando Magic at Target Center. His young Wolves team had to learn to handle both really good stretches and really difficult ones.
Man, was he right.
Up 20 late in the second quarter, the Wolves lost 97-96 on Cole Anthony's buzzer-beating three-pointer.
It was, in one game, perhaps the Wolves' best stretch of the season and their worst collapse in recent memory, losing a season—high 20-point lead.
Up by 13 with 6:33 left, the Wolves were out-scored 19-5 the rest of the way.
Nikola Vucevic scored 28 for Orlando, which ended a six-game losing streak. Evan Fournier had 24, Anthony and Aaron Gordon 13 each.
D'Angelo Russell had 19, but none in the fourth quarter. Naz Reid had 13.
The Wolves were up 20 late in the second quarter, but just nine after Vucevic hit a three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer. That lead shrunk further, to 83-78 with just under 8 minutes left. When Cole Anthony hit a three-pointer with 34.6 seconds left that lead was two.
Malik Beasly missed with 16.4 seconds left. Out of a time out, Aaron Gordon missed a wide-open three-pointer with 7.2 seconds left.
But, out of a time out, Reid hit a three, and then two free throws. Beasley's three made it an 8-0 run, pushing the lead to 13.
But the Wolves only scored five points the rest of the way.
Vucevic was a problem for the Wolves from the start. When he was switched onto a smaller defender, he took advantage of his size inside. When the Wolves didn't switch, he migrated to the three-point line. Vucevic scored 12 points in the first quarter, including going 2-for-2 on three-pointers, with the Magic building a 25-21 lead.
The game started out as something of a duel between Vucevic and Okogie, who scored the Wolves' first eight points; at one point early in the quarter the score stood Orlando 10, Okogie 8.
With the Wolves struggling to make shots – they made eight of 23 in the quarter – the Magic built a seven-point lead on Khem Birch's free throw with 18.4 seconds left before Russell hit a three with six-plus seconds left in the quarter.
That was the beginning of perhaps the most memorable stretches in the Wolves season thus far.
Beginning with that late three by Russell the Wolves embarked on a 33-6 run over the next 10½ minutes.
Russell had 15 of those points, hitting five of eight shots and four of six three-pointers. Naz Reid and Jarrett Culver each had five. The Wolves bench scored 12 points in the quarter.
It was an amazing run, during which the Wolves held the Magic to 3-for-23 shooting, 1-for-7 on threes and forced four turnovers.
Russell started the run, and he ended it, too, with a three-point play with 2:03 left in the half that put the Wolves up 51-31 before Orlando scored the half's final four points. It was the lowest-scoring quarter by a Wolves opponent this season.
But Orlando wasn't done.
With the Wolves slowing down a bit, the Magic geared up. Vucevic had 11 points and Fournier had 10 in a 33-26 third quarter
Orlando drew within 11 with 3:38 left in the quarter on two free throws by Vucevic, only to have Josh McDaniels hit a three and Culver score on the break to make it 75-59. But Orlando ended the quarter on a 9-2 run, with Vucevic hitting a three-pointer at the quarter buzzer.
• The Star Tribune did not attend this game. This article was written using the television broadcast and video interviews after the game.
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Despite dominating second quarter, Timberwolves lose to Orlando on buzzer-beater - Minneapolis Star Tribune
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