Wolves give Thibodeau a win in preseason opener

Second-half surge leads Wolves to victory over Miami in Kansas City

October 9, 2016 at 4:36AM
Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio had his shot blocked by Heat center Hassan Whiteside during the first half of a preseason NBA game Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.
Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio had his shot blocked by Heat center Hassan Whiteside during the first half of a preseason NBA game Saturday in Kansas City, Mo. (Brian Wicker — Kansas City Star/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

It was a real treat to be seated at the scoring table tonight – right next to the Wolves' bench – for the first game of the Tom Thibodeau era.

I got to see up close just how passionate he is. And, he was. In a preseason opener that was essentially meaningless, he worked the refs relentlessly – and, frankly, they deserved it – and exhorted his team constantly.

He got his first technical in almost a year and a half in the third quarter.

Afterward, he admitted being back on an NBA bench was something he'd missed.

"It was a lot of fun,'' he said. "Actually, I enjoyed it. It was good to be back.''

After a defensively-challenged first half, the Wolves out-scored the Heat 62-38 in the second half to win 109-100.

Here are some thoughts on the game:

--After allowing Miami free access to the rim in the first half – the Heat shot 57.5 percent – the Wolves clamped down in the second. Offensively, they finally got to the inside-out game Thibodeau prefers, with Towns scoring 13 of his 20 points in the third quarter.

--The Wolves had an 11-point edge on made free throws and a nine-rebound edge. They also hit on 10 of 23 three-pointers, with the second unit hitting seven of them.

--About that second unit: If Kris Dunn keeps progressing, this could be a good group. He has good floor vision – he had seven assists in 24 minutes played tonight. And with him driving and dishing there are going to be some open shots to be had. Tonight Nemanja Bjelica was 2-of-5 on three-pointers, Brandon Rush was 3-of-5 and both Dunn and Shabazz Muhammad were 1-for-2.

--Andrew Wiggins hit just three of 11 shots, but he scored 19 points thanks to hitting 13 of 16 free throws.

--Ricky Rubio had five assists and no turnovers in 23-plus minutes. He scored six points with all five assists and two of his three steals in the Wolves' big third quarter.

about the writer

Kent Youngblood

Reporter

Kent Youngblood has covered sports for the Star Tribune for more than 20 years.

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