How the heck did the Kings rally from a 115-100 deficit with 2:05 left in regulation to beat the Wolves on Monday? Well ...
• Buddy Hield caught fire, scoring 12 points in the final 2:05 (including three three-pointers).
• It's tempting to blame Ryan Saunders for emptying his bench too early, but a lineup of mostly reserves should still be able to dribble out a 12-point lead with 1:39 to play. Still, if the young coach waits another 30-40 seconds, we're probably not having this conversation.
• De'Aaron Fox made a brilliant play to intentionally miss a free throw — fired hard off the rim — and score on the rebound to tie the score. The two biggest collapses for the Wolves this season could have been footnotes if they had merely made one play at the free throw line. The other? If Karl-Anthony Towns would have MISSED a free throw during the infamous Chris Paul jersey tuck game, the Wolves would have won by a point.
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.
