3-pointer from Section 131 - They Threw it all Away
Saturday, January 15: Magic 108, Timberwolves 99
The Wolves played three impressive quarters of basketball tonight, but all it took was one bad quarter to throw it all away. They literally threw the game away in the opening minutes of the third quarter by turning the ball over as if it were a hot potato, and a 55-48 halftime lead melted quickly away. By the end of the quarter, the Magic led 81-73 and never looked back.
We never really had the feeling the Wolves would win this one. A halftime lead with this team means nothing. Still, it was an entertaining game and Wolves played hard. This was a considerable improvement over the 86-128, historically-bad, 42-point shellacking the Timberwolves suffered at the hands of the Magic in Orlando earlier this season.
Kevin Love was just ordinary in this one, scoring 11 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. It’s a wonder the Wolves were able to hang with Magic as well as they did with a less-than-extraordinary Love. That Michael Beasley missed the game with a sprained ankle didn’t help matters any.
Corey Brewer was simply outstanding. His numbers: 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 5-of-6 from the line, two three-pointers, and five steals. He was disruptive on defense (in a good way—he disrupted the Magic, not the Wolves), and under control on offense (only three turnovers). A very nice game to see from Brewer.
Maybe he won’t be traded after all.
Darko Milicic competed well at center, chipping in 13 points, 6 boards, and 3 blocked shots. His sub, Nikola Pekovic, added 8 points and 6 rebounds. The Darko-Pek combo actually outproduced Dwight Howard: in 36 minutes, they combined for 21 points, 12 boards, 3 blocks, and committed 4 turnovers. Howard played 38 minutes and totaled 16 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, and 4 turnovers.
But once again the Wolves came out on the short end of the officiating stick, and it was most pronounced in the battle down low. All three of the principals banged away pretty good all night. Both Milicic and Pekovic fouled out. Howard picked up five fouls himself, but two of them were called after both Wolves’ centers had been disqualified. Several of the Darko-Pek fouls were of the ticky-tack variety, while Howard was allowed to lower his shoulder and drive it into the chest of his defender all night.
On one trip down the court, Pekovic broke a step ahead of the trailing Howard. You would have had to see it to believe it, but Howard reached out, clasped Pekovic’s hand (“pleased to meet you!”), and pulled. Pekovic stumbled but didn’t fall while Howard passed him to set up first in the paint. Pekovic arrived and bumped him. Whistle. Foul on Pekovic.
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