Takeaways: Timberwolves defense disappears and so does winning streak in 144-132 loss to Cavaliers

When it mattered, the Timberwolves just couldn’t get enough stops.

The Wolves’ four-game win streak came to an end at Cleveland in a 144-132 loss on Saturday, Jan. 10, two days after the Wolves beat the Cavaliers at Target Center.

The Wolves gave up 47 points in the fourth quarter. The Cavs pulled away in the second half thanks to 70% shooting in the third and fourth quarters.

Five Cleveland players scored 20 or more points, with Donovan Mitchell leading the way with 28 while Evan Mobley had 24.

Wolves coach Chris Finch earned a technical foul in the fourth quarter after Cleveland had a 2-to-1 free-throw differential prior to garbage time (25 to 20 was the final tally in favor of Cleveland). Anthony Edwards had 25 points for the Wolves while Julius Randle had 22.

The Wolves led by as many as 12 in the first half thanks to a 14-2 run from a mix of their bench and starters as Edwards rested. Naz Reid had 13 first-half points while Bones Hyland added seven and five assists as the Wolves took control during that spurt, which featured some well-connected basketball at both ends of the floor for the team.

But Cleveland fought back and with some physical play — the Wolves were campaigning for more whistles — the Cavs pulled within 65-63 at the break. Cleveland made an adjustment to its starting lineup from the game Thursday, Jan. 8, inserting Sam Merrill for Craig Porter Jr.

Mitchell had 26 through three quarters as Cleveland led 99-91 entering the fourth. But shot after shot kept going in for the Cavaliers in the fourth, as Cleveland went on a 12-3 run in the quarter, and the Wolves couldn’t come back.

BOXSCORE: Cleveland 144, Wolves 132

NBA standings

Mike Conley was out because of rest and with Jaden McDaniels in foul trouble, Finch turned to veteran Joe Ingles as the ninth man off the bench. Ingles appeared in his 12th game, with some of those appearances coming as a late-game inbounder. Ingles finished with five points. Rob Dillingham remained out of the rotation.

In hitting his first three shots of the game, Gobert brought his streak of consecutive makes to 18, a franchise record, the team announced. Gobert was 5-for-5 in his previous two games and was 8-for-10 in the previous game when the streak began.