The Minnesota Timberwolves have made quite a few changes this offseason hoping they can finally be competitive in the Western Conference and make a deep playoff run. They added Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, and Taj Gibson to their roster this past summer and it seems this team could make some noise next season. On Wednesday, the Timberwolves faced the defending NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, as they played their preseason matchup in China.
Big fourth quarter lifts the Timberwolves past the Warriors
The Warriors opened up the game with a huge first quarter, outscoring the Timberwolves 32-20 in the opening period of the game.
Minnesota answered with a 30-point second quarter, but Golden State held a 55-50 lead at halftime. Teams went back and forth in the third period and heading into the fourth quarter the Warriors were up by just two points (81-79). The Timberwolves showed what they're capable off as they played an impressive fourth quarter. They outscored the Warriors 32-14 in the final period of the game and ended up winning this one in a convincing fashion 111-95.
Seven players finished in double-digit scoring for Minnesota in their win against Golden State on Wednesday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler each scored 16 points, while Andrew Wiggins added 14 points. Taj Gibson contributed with 13 points and seven rebounds for the Wolves.
Kevin Durant led the Warriors in scoring in this one with 20 points, while Stephen Curry scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds. Klay Thompson added 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
The Nuggets roll by the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers were looking for their first win this preseason on Wednesday night, as they faced the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets were scoring at will in the first quarter of the game as they scored 41 points in the opening period. At halftime, the score was 74-52 in favor of the Nuggets, and it became clear after two quarters that the Lakers will have to wait for their first preseason victory. Denver routinely closed out the game and celebrated an easy, 122-104 victory.
Kenneth Faried led the Nuggets in scoring with 25 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Jamal Murray scored 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field. Juan Hernangomez added 18 points and four rebounds for the Nuggets.
Kyle Kuzma was the leading scorer for the Lakers on Wednesday night. Kuzma finished the game with 21 points in 27 minutes of playing time. Jordan Clarkson added 13 points off the bench for the Lakers.