Timberwolves
Timberwolves Pull Away in the Third Quarter and Rout Magic 115-93
Minnesota beat Orlando 115-93 at Kia Center and stayed unbeaten at 2-0. The Timberwolves outscored the Magic 29-15 in the third quarter and led by as many as 26. Orlando fell to 0-2 and sits 11th in the East.
By the Hoops Nightly Desk · updated 3 h ago01The story of the nightThe third quarter broke it openMinnesota led 26-20 after one quarter and 57-45 at halftime.
Minnesota led 26-20 after one quarter and 57-45 at halftime. The game turned in the third. The Timberwolves scored 29 points while the Magic managed 15, and the score went from 57-45 to 86-60. Orlando shot 8 of 39 from three for the game, and the cold stretch in that quarter left it with no way back. Minnesota's biggest lead was 26. The Magic never led and never tied; the game had zero lead changes. Orlando scored 33 in the fourth quarter, but Minnesota still scored 29 in the same period and the margin barely moved.
02Balanced scoring for MinnesotaNo Timberwolf took over.
No Timberwolf took over. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels each scored 15. Rudy Gobert added 14 points and 9 rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting. Ayo Dosunmu came off the bench for 14 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists in 26.6 minutes, with a plus-15 mark. Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 13 on 4-of-6 shooting. Edwards had an uneven night from the field, going 5 of 23, but he made up for it with 4 assists and 4 steals and finished plus-19. Minnesota had 33 assists on 42 made field goals.
03Where it was wonThe Magic won the paint, 54-46, but little else.
The Magic won the paint, 54-46, but little else. Minnesota hit 14 of 37 threes to Orlando's 8 of 39. The Timberwolves took the rebounding edge, 74-50. They also forced 16 turnovers while committing 12, and turned them into 18 points to Orlando's 7. Minnesota led fast-break points, 14-5. The bench was the widest gap: 48 points for Minnesota against 22 for Orlando. The Timberwolves also made 17 of 30 free throws to 11 of 19 for the Magic, so Orlando did not get to the line more often to make up the difference.
04Orlando's nightWendell Carter Jr.
Wendell Carter Jr. led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting, and he added 9 rebounds. Franz Wagner scored 18 but had 6 turnovers and finished minus-18. Jalen Suggs had 14 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Paolo Banchero scored 14 on 6-of-11 shooting. Desmond Bane had a rough night, shooting 2 of 11, including 1 of 9 from three, and scored 5 points. Tristan da Silva went 1 of 7 from deep and Jamal Cain missed all four of his threes. Orlando shot 44.0 percent overall, but the perimeter shots did not fall.
05What it meansMinnesota is 2-0 and sixth in the West, with a 2-0 mark over its last 10.
Minnesota is 2-0 and sixth in the West, with a 2-0 mark over its last 10. The Timberwolves got contributions from the whole rotation, including Jonathan Kuminga with 11 points and 8 rebounds and Joan Beringer with 9 points and 9 rebounds off the bench. Orlando is 0-2 and 11th in the East, having lost both of its games so far. The Magic's fourth-quarter 33 points show some life, but the first three quarters were the problem: 60 points through three, and a shooting slump from three that the team will need to fix.
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