Karl-Anthony Towns
Wolves' Jeff Teague thriving off the bench
Karl-Anthony Towns

Wolves' Jeff Teague thriving off the bench

Published Dec. 13, 2019 2:29 p.m. ET

Jeff Teague has been at his best coming off the bench this season.

Used predominantly as a starter since emerging as a full-time NBA player in 2011, Teague has come off the bench in eight of his 20 appearances and seven of his last eight for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season.



He went off for 32 points Wednesday in the Wolves' loss to the Utah Jazz, going 4-for-4 on 3-point tries and 6-for-6 at the free-throw line.

Teague is the first Wolves reserve to score 30-plus points since Derrick Rose on Jan. 20, 2019, and just the ninth Minnesota player to do it.

He's also the fifth player this decade to score 30-plus off the bench without missing a 3-pointer or free throw. Rose, now with the Pistons, did it on Oct. 26.

The Wolves will need all the scoring they can get Friday when they host the second-place Clippers, particularly in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles leads the Western Conference in fourth-quarter scoring at 29.6 points per games. Center Montrezl Harrell is shooting an NBA-leading 60.2% in the final frame, while forward Kawhi Leonard ranks second at 56.5%.

Forward Paul George has shot 44.6% from 3-point range against the Wolves in his career, the third-best rate of any active player.

Meanwhile, Wolves center Karl-Anthony Towns should have his hands full on the glass. The Clippers are averaging 11.6 offensive rebounds per game, second in the NBA, while Minnesota ranks third at 11.1 offensive boards per game.

Statistics via Sportradar











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