Timberwolves beat Kings 134-114 as NBA trade deadline nears
Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket while now former Los Angeles King Tristan Thompson #13 defends in the third quarter of a previous matchup at Target Center on November 17, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The T
MINNEAPOLIS - Two days before the NBA trade deadline, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat a Sacramento Kings team 134-114 Tuesday night that was short-handed after being involved in its own sizable trade.
Prior to tip-off, news broke that the Kings were part of six-player trade that would send Indiana Pacers' players Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday, and a 2023 second-round pick, to the Kings in exchange for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson. As a result, the Kings only had nine total players available for the first game of the back-to-back series.
Facing the Kings on the first night of a back-to-back, Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 25 points, shooting 10-of-14 from the field and 2-of-3 from the perimeter, eclipsing 100 made 3-pointers for the season. Malik Beasley added 21 points, and found his shooting touch in going 7-of-8 from three-point range, which ties a career-high in a game.
For a team missing players it once considered cornerstone at the start of the season, the Kings stayed competitive in the first half, though the Timberwolves still headed to the locker room with a 73-67 lead at the break. All five players of Timberwolves' complementary bench unit scored in the first half, combining for 34 points.
In the second half Minnesota found their groove offensively and their lead only widened – enough so for a Jake Layman and Leandro Bolmaro sighting – as a Kings' team that will no doubt look much different in future contests lost in front of its home crowd.
While "quiet" fans have been slow to adopt a team that has begun to exhibit real chemistry, the Timberwolves have now won five in a row and are officially eyeing a playoff spot heading into the All-Star break – which they will be well-represented at.
With a record of 29-25, the Timberwolves are in the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference and are one game behind the Denver Nuggets for the No. 6 spot. The top six teams in each conference at the end of the regular season avoid play-in series for the NBA Playoffs.
The Timberwolves face the Kings again Wednesday night in Sacramento. The front office also has a decision to make by Thursday, which is the NBA's trade deadline. Do they make a move to add depth for a playoff run? Or do they forge ahead with what's working? We'll know by Thursday afternoon.