Minnesota's third preseason game ended in a 116-133 loss at Chicago, its second defeat in three outings this fall. With most of the regular rotation sitting out as scheduled rest, a five-man reserve group anchored the finish and kept the closing minutes competitive to the last possession.
The Final Score
Minnesota lost 116-133 in Chicago on October 16, its third preseason game, after beating the Knicks 122-104 on the road October 12 and falling to the Pistons at home 106-128 on October 14. The Bulls, who finished last season 31-51, came in on the same amount of rest as Minnesota, one day, with both sides working through a stretch of three games in the previous week.
The Closing Five
With Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels among the regulars listed day-to-day for rest, the group that finished the game for Minnesota was Cody Williams, Jaylen Clark, Joan Beringer, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Zyon Pullin, the same five who played the final five minutes. Chicago answered with Buddy Hield, Dailyn Swain, Leonard Miller, Noa Essengue and Tre Jones. In that stretch the lead changed four times with two ties, Chicago's largest edge at five points and Minnesota's at two, before the Bulls closed it out on the final possessions. Jalen Smith's 5 points led Chicago in that window; Shannon Jr. scored 4 with 2 assists, and Clark added 3 points with a steal. Joan Beringer chipped in 2 points on a pair of free throws, and Zyon Pullin ran the point without scoring, finishing with an assist and no turnovers.
Grades and What's Next
Williams earns the clean grade of the night, an A-, built on 2-of-2 shooting with a made three for 5 points in six minutes. Shannon Jr. settles for a B: four points, two assists, one turnover. Clark gets a B-: three points on 1-of-3 shooting with a steal. The five-man closing unit finished the stretch even at zero in plus-minus; no one swung it alone. Minnesota now has five days before the regular-season opener at Miami on October 21, closing a stretch of three games in a week with this preseason standing at one win and two losses.
What was the score of the Timberwolves' preseason game against the Bulls?
Minnesota lost 116-133 in Chicago on October 16, its third preseason game of the fall.
Who played for the Timberwolves at the end of the Bulls game?
Cody Williams, Jaylen Clark, Joan Beringer, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Zyon Pullin closed out the game for Minnesota.
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