Wolves record: 17-35
Mike Miller came out of the all-star break shooting; Kevin Love fared relatively well with a favorable matchup; all five starters scored in double figures; and a young team learning to play without injured star Al Jefferson was not fazed by a large first-half deficit.
Those things still didn’t add up to a victory, though, as the Wolves fell 111-103 to a team that entered the night tied for the fewest wins in the NBA.
Minnesota (17-35) is 1-6 in February and 0-2 since Jefferson’s season-ending knee injury.
The teams were tied at 76 after three quarters, then again at 78, 80, 82 and 84 over the first 5 minutes of the fourth. Craig Smith, back after missing four games with a broken rib, made a layup that put the Timberwolves ahead with 6:50 to play. The lead grew to 94-88, but the Wizards rallied and went back on top on James’ 3-pointer with 1:25 remaining.
Minnesota took the lead again on Sebastian Telfair’s 3 with 1:08 to go, but the Timberwolves didn’t score again. Javaris Crittenton’s jumper, James’ baseline 3-pointer, and four free throws capped a Wizards victory in which they overcame 20 turnovers.
“They had the same break we had,” Wolves forward Mike Miller said, referring to a Wizards team that brought the NBA’s second-worst record to Verizon Center on Tuesday. “They brought energy. We didn’t. You’ve got to start games better than that.”
Playing without injured star Al Jefferson for the second consecutive game, the Wolves revived themselves with a 30-11 push that ended the first half and started the second. Then they used an 8-2 fourth-quarter burst to take that 92-86 lead that didn’t last because the Wolves couldn’t get a defensive stop when it mattered most and because former Timberwolf Mike James finally delivered.
About three years too late.