The challenge Wolves interim coach Sam Mitchell has for his team tonight in its game here in Charlotte is simple:

Do it again.

In an extremely up-and-down last few days, the Timberwolves had a very bad game in Milwaukee, one that ended with Mitchell sitting Ricky Rubio, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins for most of the second half, then criticizing the team's defense afterward.

Having got the message, the team went out and had an unbelievably efficient, high-scoring victory over Brooklyn Saturday, one in which they scored their most points in a game this season (132) and set a franchise record by shooting 68.4 percent.

Now, Mitchell doesn't expect his team to flirt with 70 percent shooting every night. But what he wants to see from his young Wolves is the ability to put together back-to-back good games.

"It has to become more consistent,'' he said of the team's effort and level of play. "The goal has to be consistency.''

The Wolves haven't won back-to-back games in a month. Since then it's been an up-and-down roller coaster ride that Mitchell wants to end.

"It can't be up here," Mitchell said, raising his hand, "and then down here. You want it to be more consistent. And we'll see. We're coming off a very good game we played at home. "A very, very good effort after a bad game in Milwaukee. It will be interesting to see how they respond. But, with a young team, who knows?

Here are a couple other items

--Mitchell said he's liked what he's seen from Greg Smith in the three games since the center/forward was signed to a 10-day contract. In those three games Smith has averaged about 15 minutes per game.

"For what we need him to do, to put pressure on the rim, play defense, rebound, I think he's done a good job. And I think we're playing him more than he thought he would play coming here on a 10-day. But it goes to show you we needed another big body.''

--Big Al Jefferson, the former Timberwolves player, had some high praise for Towns after the Hornets' morning shootaround. Asked what made Towns so challenging to guard, here's what Jefferson said. "He's playing center, but he's a skilled three man, if you ask me. He can dribble the ball, he can shoot. He has some great post moves. For a lot of guys, like me, to have to guard him at the five position, that's tough. … The things I see in him this season, he has such a bright future.''