Thunder stunned by stuggling Timberwolves
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Ricky Rubio's 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining lifted the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 99-96 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.
Rubio finished with 13 points and 12 assists for his eighth double-double of the season, and the Timberwolves snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Thunder.
Gorgui Dieng had 25 points and nine rebounds, while Andrew Wiggins added 20 points, five steals and four assists for Minnesota, which is now 2-13 all-time in Oklahoma City and just 3-17 in its last 20 road games.
Kevin Durant scored 28 points, along with six rebounds, to lead Oklahoma City. Russell Westbrook had 26 points and eight assists.
Minnesota led 88-87 with 3:28 remaining after two free throws from Dieng.
The Thunder then went on a 7-2 run, with all of their points coming from Durant, to take a 94-90 lead with 59 seconds left. However, two free throws from Dieng and a 10-foot jumper from Karl-Anthony Towns tied the score again at 94-all with 41 seconds to go.
Towns then hit another 10-footer with 16 seconds on the clock to give the Timberwolves a two-point lead, but Steven Adams' layup with 10.8 seconds remaining tied it again.
Oklahoma City started quite sloppy and the Timberwolves took advantage, jumping out to a 13-4 lead over the first 5:05. The Thunder committed eight turnovers, misconnected on seemingly routine passes multiple times, and shot just 2 for 16 from the floor over the first 8:30. When Towns made a layup with 3:38 left in the opening quarter, Minnesota had a 21-8 advantage.
The Thunder then had a 19-3 run over the next five minutes, pulling to 24-21 by the end of the first quarter, and taking their first lead of the game, 27-24, on Durant's 3-pointer 1:22 into second.
Oklahoma City used a 7-0 run to pull ahead 40-33 with 5:53 left in the period, but Minnesota responded with a 10-3 run of its own to tie it again at 43 with 4:03 remaining.
The Thunder took a 53-50 lead into halftime.
Minnesota led 67-65 after Towns' 10-foot jump shot with 5:11 left in the third quarter, but the Thunder went on an 8-2 run to close the period, taking a 73-69 edge into the fourth.
TIP INS
Timberwolves: Minnesota totaled 12 steals, two shy of its season high of 14 from its 102-88 loss to Indiana on Dec. 26. Andrew Wiggins led the Timberwolves with five. They also induced Oklahoma City into committing a season-high 24 turnovers, also two shy of Minnesota's season-high of 26, against Milwaukee on March 4.
Thunder: Oklahoma City outrebounded Minnesota 54-37, led by Enes Kanter's 14, while Adams had 13. It was the 33rd time this season that the Thunder had won the rebounding battle by more than 10, and they totaled more than their league-leading average of 48.1 per game.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: At Phoenix on Monday.
Thunder: At San Antonio on Saturday.
