Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Match Player Stats On Dec 27, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 27, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- Jimmy Butler scored 12 of his game-high 39 points in overtime to help the Minnesota Timberwolves top Denver 128-125 on Wednesday night at sold-out Target Center.

Butler picked up the slack in overtime after Karl-Anthony Towns and Taj Gibson fouled out, and point guard Jeff Teague exited with an injury.

The Timberwolves held off a Nuggets team that surged in the second half after Minnesota led by as many as 19 points.

The Timberwolves (22-13) have now won five in a row. Wednesday's loss halted the Nuggets' winning streak at three games.

Butler's 39 points included 16 of 18 from the free-throw line. Andrew Wiggins chipped in 21 points for Minnesota, including five 3-pointers.

Will Barton had a team-high 28 points for Denver (19-16) and sank two free throws with five seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime. Trey Lyles added 23 points in the loss.

Teague was injured with 13.4 seconds remaining in regulation after a jump ball at midcourt. He appeared to have his left ankle rolled on by another player, and he needed help walking off the court to the locker room.

Towns, who had 14 points and 13 rebounds, fouled out earlier in the fourth quarter. Gibson fouled out early in overtime, leaving Minnesota further depleted in the extra session.

Butler did everything he could to will his team to a win, including a 3-pointer and a free throw with 16.9 seconds remaining.

The Nuggets used a 13-0 run -- including eight points from Barton during that stretch -- to climb to within 86-81 late in the third quarter. Minnesota clung to a six-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Denver managed to tie the score early in the fourth on a floater by Barton, effectively erasing the Nuggets' sizable deficit. Minnesota's offense, which thrived with plenty of ball movement in the first half, grew stagnant as its defense struggled to make stops at the other end.

Denver's defense had held its previous three opponents to 85 points or less. Minnesota already had 71 points at halftime and led by 13 at the break.

NOTES: The Timberwolves reassigned F Justin Patton to the team's G League affiliate, the Iowa Wild. Patton, the 16th overall pick in this year's draft, has yet to debut with Minnesota after having offseason foot surgery. He was recalled by the Timberwolves on Dec. 24 but didn't play. ... Minnesota C Karl-Anthony Towns registered his league-leading 28th double-double of the season. ... Denver reassigned F Tyler Lydon to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League. Lydon has appeared in just one game this season with Denver.