The story appears on

Page A15

October 24, 2017

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Sports » Basketball

Wiggins, Timberwolves silence Thunder in OKC

Andrew Wiggins thwarted the Oklahoma City Thunder’s comeback bid, launching a game-winning three-pointer as time expired to lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 115-113 NBA triumph on Sunday.

Wiggins’ banked-in shot from near halfcourt denied new Thunder signing Carmelo Anthony a signature moment with his new club. Anthony had put Oklahoma City up with five seconds remaining.

“I could see how much time was left,” Wiggins said. “I got as close as I could and let it go. Everything worked perfectly. When it left my hands it felt amazing.”

The result left the crowd in Oklahoma City — not to mention the Thunder — stunned by a second straight defeat.

Anthony, acquired in September from the New York Knicks in a blockbuster trade, finished with 23 points.

Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 27 points apiece. Towns also had a team-high 12 rebounds.

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Russell Westbrook, coming off a six-point performance in a loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday, shook off a slow start to score 31 points with 10 assists for Oklahoma City.

But his late-game heroics weren’t enough after the Thunder’s lackluster start. He scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer with 30 seconds remaining that tied the game at 110-110.

Towns answered with another basket, and after Anthony’s three put the Thunder up again Wiggins swooped for the win.

Westbrook wasn’t convinced that the hard screen set by Towns that freed Wiggins for the game-winner — and knocked down the Thunder’s Paul George — was legal.

Thunder coach Billy Donovan said he’d leave it to NBA officials to “deal with that stuff”.

In other games, it was: Nets 116, Hawks 104; and Pelicans 119, Lakers 112.




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend