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Knicks 118, Timberwolves 106
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
MINNEAPOLIS — Turns out Minnesota Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman had good reason to worry before Wednesday night’s 118-106 loss to the New York Knicks at Target Center.
The Timberwolves had just won four of five games on the season’s longest road trip and six of their last seven overall before coming home to begin a portion of their schedule assuming they would climb closer to the West’s eighth and final playoff spot.
Adelman well knows, though, what happens when you assume anything with his team.
Saying “we haven’t done anything yet” and warning his team not to underestimate the star-studded Knicks, Adelman watched his team fall behind by 17 points to a Knicks team that had lost seven consecutive games and 10 of its last 11 games.
The Wolves lost a game that seriously damaged their playoff hopes after they allowed the Knicks a 15-2 run that opened the fourth quarter.
Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony scored 33 points, 20 of them in the first half, while Wolves star forward Kevin Love scored just one point after halftime on a 19-point night.
The Wolves returned to Target Center Wednesday after nearly two weeks away, and found themselves entering the night 4 1/2 games behind Phoenix for the West’s eighth and final playoff spot.
The Wolves went out and promptly fell behind 16-5, 38-22 and 55-49 in the first half before they got themselves back in the game with a 31-22 third quarter that included a 24-13 run that finished the quarter.
The flourish that finished the third quarter pulled the Wolves within 88-86, but the Knicks opened the fourth quarter by scoring the first six points and 15 of the first 17 to regain a 103-88 lead with fewer than six minutes remaining.
The Wolves never got closer than eight points again.
NOTES: Wolves F Kevin Love averaged 34 points and 14 rebounds a game in February, but lost out to Los Angeles Clippers F Blake Griffin when the NBA announced its Player of the Month award on Wednesday. “He (Love) just had a terrific month,” Wolves coach Rick Adelman said. “You can’t say enough about the month he had.”… Rookie F Robbie Hummel and injured backup C Ronny Turiaf were the Wolves’ inactive players Wednesday while injured F Kenyon Martin and C Andrea Bargnani were the Knicks’ inactives. … Knicks backup C Cole Aldrich grew up in nearby Bloomington, Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis. … The Wolves allowed 83 points in two quarters after surrendering 45 in the fourth quarter of Monday’s victory at Denver and Wednesday’s 38-point first quarter against the Knicks. … Love entered the game leading the NBA in double-doubles (50), 20/10 games (39, including his last 13 consecutively) and 30/10 games (18).
