LOS ANGELES — At the end of practice Thursday, Karl-Anthony Towns clanked a few three-pointers in a row from the corner. He was visibly and audibly upset at this.
Second-half burst leads Timberwolves to 107-83 blowout victory over Lakers
The Timberwolves broke their six-game losing streak in a big way, coming alive after halftime by outscoring the Lakers 40-12 in the third quarter.
November 13, 2021 at 7:24AM
On Wednesday, while some of his other teammates were more upbeat, Towns was more sullen following a loss at Golden State.
Both his smile and his shot returned in a big way in Friday's 107-83 win over the Lakers. The Wolves snapped their six-game losing streak and Towns snapped out of his recent malaise with 29 points on 11 of 17 shooting. He did most of his damage in the third quarter, when the Wolves outscored the Lakers 40-12.
"I really take every game personally," Towns said. "I think it messes with me a lot, so I'm glad that I'm going to have a day of some serenity."
Towns was on fire before he was at peace.
He gave the Staples Center crowd a jumpstart on the traffic by going 6 of 7 from the floor for 18 points, which included four threes that sent a hush through the arena. The Wolves played one of their strongest quarters of the season and in an encouraging sign, they kept extending it to 33 until garbage time.
They scored 29 of the first 33 points in the third. They rebounded, they defended and they watched the veteran Lakers, who are loaded with future Hall of Famers, despite the absence of LeBron James, crumble in ways the Wolves have collapsed at various times in this losing streak.
When asked how much the Wolves needed this win, Towns said, "A lot."
Coach Chris Finch said they "desperately" needed it.
"This was a situation like the more desperate team in the NBA usually wins on any given night," Finch said. "Challenges for us is to be just as desperate [Saturday] night [against the Clippers]. We've been playing well. We just haven't been playing well long enough."
That wasn't the problem Friday. The Wolves trailed 49-44 at halftime when Patrick Beverley got things going with a couple of tough baskets and Towns took it from there.
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"He's been putting a lot of pressure on himself, and I think he came tonight with a fresh mindset just to be the great player he is and not worry about anything else," Finch said of Towns.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 22 points. D'Angelo Russell had 22 points on 8 of 19 shooting after a 2 of 9 first half. Anthony Edwards followed up his 48-point performance against Golden State with just nine, but Towns said Edwards played a great game nonetheless.
"The gravity he pulled in from having 48, making the right plays, being aggressive downhill, getting downhill and making the plays out is amazing," Towns said. "Ant played a game that was exactly what we needed for him to come out and win this game by a large margin. He sacrificed a statistical win for a great team win. So shoutout to Ant."
The Wolves also won the rebounding battle 55-44 against the Lakers, who at times went with a double big lineup of Davis and Dwight Howard. Finch made an emphasis for the guard to rebound better and Russell responded with five, Beverley with seven and Josh OKogie with seven.
"We did great with our boxouts," Towns said. "That's something that has been a big struggle for us, boxing out. And I thought the guards, that's really where the rebounding game was won. The guards, that's something that usually doesn't happen."
The Wolves turning a halftime deficit into a laugher is also something that usually doesn't happen. Maybe the Wolves are finally trending upward or maybe they were due for a night like this. Either way, Towns was leaving the arena happy.
"I felt coming in here that God owed me one and the basketball gods owed me one," Towns said.
The Wolves fell apart in the fourth quarter and have not won in Toronto in two decades.
