As he watched Buddy Hield’s last-second three-point attempt clang off the back of the rim at the end of double-overtime on Thursday, Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins breathed a sigh of relief that was nearly a month in the making as, for the first time in December, the Timberwolves won a game.
“All you could do was look and watch,” Wiggins said. “I was looking at the shot and it missed. Thank God.”
Wiggins scored the first basket of the second overtime and then fed Robert Covington for another score as Minnesota ended an 11-game losing streak by beating the Sacramento Kings 105-104.
Photo: AP
They had not won since Nov. 27 before limiting Sacramento to 11 points in the fourth quarter and then outlasting the Kings in two overtimes. The Wolves did it without Karl-Anthony Towns, who missed his fifth straight game with a sprained left knee.
“We did a lot of great things tonight,” Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders said.
“Our offense was not pretty tonight, but we found ways. That locker room deserves to feel good,” Saunders said.
Wiggins got the Wolves going in the second OT with a short jumper that started a 6-0 run. After Jeff Teague made a floater, Wiggins passed to Covington for a layup.
Gorgui Dieng’s dunk with 3 minutes, 11 seconds left put Minnesota up 105-99.
Hield scored five straight points for Sacramento to close the gap, but the Timberwolves held on after Hield missed the potential game-winning three-pointer.
“Winning in double-overtime, winning in regulation, either way I would have took it,” Minnesota’s Treveon Graham said.
Wiggins finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Dieng had 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Covington scored 19 for the Timberwolves.
Richaun Holmes had 20 points and a career-high 18 rebounds for the Kings.
In other games, it was:
‧ Pistons 132, Wizards 102
‧ Mavericks 102, Spurs 98
‧ Jazz 121, Trail Blazers 115
‧ Knicks 94, Nets 82
‧ Grizzlies 110, Thunder 97
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