On a Monday night in Cleveland the Timberwolves and Cavaliers provided the fans with a game that including some of the most dramatic swings you could imagine.
For example: The Wolves were down 14 practically before they could get comfortable. For most of the second and third quarters the Timberwolves looked like the best team in the NBA, turning that 14 points deficit into a 23-point lead with 4-plus minutes left in the third quarter.
And then this: That 23-point lead gone, with 11.8 seconds left, Karl-Anthony Towns banged home a three-pointer that sealed a 127-122 win.
Cleveland's Cedi Osman missed a three with 4.6 seconds left.
It was the Wolves bench that started the comeback. Wolves reserves scored 31 points in a 50-28 run that took them from 14 down to up eight in the second. But it was mostly reserves on the court late in the third quarter, which the Cavaliers ended on an 13-3 run, creating the momentum they used to push the game to the final seconds.
It was, funnily enough the Cavaliers bench that led the comeback. Kevin Love scored 26 points and Osman (21) who led Cleveland, which was playing without guards Darius Garland, Caris LeVert and Rajon Rondo.
The Wolves led 120-115 when D'Angelo Russell scored with 1:49 left. But Isaac Okoru hit a second-chance corner three with 1:26 left to draw the Cavs within two.
Russell turned the ball over at the other end, then Patrick Beverley fouled Osman hard. Osman hit one of two. Russell hit two free throws with 57.7 seconds left for a three-point lead. Evan Mobely missed a three-pointer, but the Wolves losing the ensuing jump ball, and Osman hit a game-tying three with 33.8 seconds left.
Then, with 11.8 seconds left, Towns' three rattled home. Russell finished with 25 points. Anthony Edwards, Towns and Jaden McDaniels had 17.
Cleveland got 21 from Jarrett Allen.
The Wolves spent much of the first quarter struggling to find a shot, struggling even more to make them and getting beat up at the other end.
In the first 10 minutes the Cavaliers had eight players score, they out-rebounded the Wolves 12-9, scored six points off of four offensive rebounds and scored nine points on four Wolves turnovers.
The Wolves? Out-scored 14-2 to start the game, they didn't really arrive at the party until Cleveland had taken a 26-12 lead on a Kevin Love three with 4:10 left in the quarter.
And then the bench came through. The bench totaled 11 points in the first quarter, led by two McDaniels threes, as the Wolves finished the quarter out-scoring Cleveland 14-11 to draw within 37-26 entering the second.
That was a sign of things to come.
Left out to start the second quarter, the Wolves lineup of mostly bench players provided a tutorial. With McDaniels scoring 11 points, Prince 10, Beasley six and Russell chipping in 11 points in the run, the Wolves were electric in the second quarter. From the points Love hit that three with 4:10 left in the first quarter until Russell scored with 2:45 left in the half – a total of 13:25 of clock time — the Wolves out-scored the Cavaliers 50-28 to take a 62-54 lead.
Eight players scored in that run, with bench players scoring 31 of those points. The Cavaliers trimmed that eight-point lead to three, 64-61, at the half.
And then it was on.
Over the first 4:23 of the third quarter the Wolves — getting eight points from Beverley and six each from Russell and Edwads — out-scored Cleveland 24-7 to go up 20 on Edwards fast break basket after a Wolves steal.
Out of a time out that lead grew to 23 before the Wolves faltered. Cleveland finished the quarter on a 18-8 run to draw within 101-88 entering the fourth.
