Timberwolves fall to Bulls 109-101 to drop out of first place in West again

The Timberwolves must wait at least another game to clinch a Western Conference playoff berth.

A 109-101 loss to the Chicago Bulls at Target Center dropped them from first to third in the West, and Sacramento’s home victory over Utah prevented Minnesota from following the Nuggets and Thunder, who both clinched a playoff spot with victories.

The first time the Minnesota and Chicago played this season, the Wolves lost yet another big lead late. The Bulls recovered from a 23-point deficit to win 129-123 in overtime in Chicago on Feb. 6, with 30 of Coby White’s 33 points coming after halftime. The Wolves, though, responded by winning their next four games — the rest of a five-game road trip — and seven of their next eight.

On Sunday, Bulls forward Alex Caruso made his first six three-point shots and finished 7-for-8 on threes as the Wolves trailed by as many as 16 points in the third quarter.

Chicago’s closing 13-2 run over the final five minutes featured veteran guard DeMar DeRozan’s steal at one end off a finger-roll layup to start the run. Then he made his only three-pointer of the night to keep it going.

The Wolves led 99-96, their biggest lead of the night, with 5:09 left before the Bulls ran away.

BOXSCORE: Chicago 109, Wolves 101

NBA standings

“We had the lead with four minutes left, so they weren’t shooting that well,” Wolves star Anthony Edwards said. “We just missed a lot of shots. They can shoot as well as they want. We’re still supposed to win that game. We got as many open shots as we can ask for. We just missed ‘em.”

Caruso delivered 21 points thanks to those seven threes, despite blowing out his sneaker late in the game trying to defend a Mike Conley three-pointer in the corner — missed, by the way.

“Yeah, on one of the late plays,” Caruso said. “I jumped up to try and contest, and I landed on my left foot and my insoles and the plate in there just slid out of the bottom.”

Conley’s miss was one of many for a Wolves team that shot only 11-for-37 from three-point range while the Bulls went 17-for-29.

Jaden McDaniels went 1-for-6, Naz Reid 3-for-9, Nickeil Alexander-Walker 1-for-5 and Edwards 0-for-5 on his way to a 22-point game. But Edwards had 11 rebounds, too.

“They shot the ball well and we just missed a lot of shots, including myself,” Edwards said. “It was bad.”

The loss was a setback in the Wolves’ chase to secure the West’s No. 1 playoff seed.

“It hurts,” Edwards said. “Those who give up on us, forget about them. You ain’t going to win them all. You’re going to lose some games. It just happened to be this one. I don’t think we’re in trouble.”

Sign up for our Wolves Update newsletter

The three Wolves listed as questionable — Edwards (dislocated middle finger), Rudy Gobert (rib) and Jordan McLaughlin (shoulder contusion) — all played. The Bulls’ list of seven injured included Lonzo Ball and former Wolves guard Zach Lavine, who is out for the season following foot surgery.

Sunday’s game was the first at Target Center since longtime owner Glen Taylor announced Thursday he now isn’t selling the franchise after a deal to sell controlling ownership to Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore fell through. Lore countered by saying he and Rodriguez would fight “with all means possible” to complete remaining portion of a deal that was struck three years ago.

Taylor and his wife, Becky, sat in their usual courtside seats near the Wolves bench. Rodriguez was not in his season courtside seats across the floor.