JB Bickerstaff’s Cavaliers sealed their second straight victory and sixth in the last eight games by winning 123-106 in their visit to Minneapolis with seven players in double-digit scoring.
Jarrett Allen led the offense with 21 points and 10 rebounds; followed by Darius Garland with 12 points and 12 assists, and a Kevin Love who contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds (his best figure of the course) against his former team.
For his part, Lauri Markkanen added 19 goals; Isaac Okoro added 16, rookie Evan Mobley had 11 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks, and Cedi Osman finished with 13.
Without a doubt, the Cavaliers are being the surprise team at the start of the season with a 15-12 record and in playoff spots (6th).
“We come to every game with that underdog mentality,” Okoro admitted. “I feel like the teams are starting to respect each other now and we have to keep fighting,” he added.
Karl Anthony-Towns scored 12 of his 21 points in the garbage minutes, and teammate Malik Beasley added 15 points from the bench. The Timberwolves connected 39% from the field goal (36 of 92) and in the last three games they have barely combined with 60 of 128 shots in the paint.
“Our start was very poor, and the rest of the game was unacceptable. If you don’t set the tone from the beginning, everyone has a good, comfortable night, ”coach Chris Finch said.
For their part, the Cavs finished with 54% shooting from the field; 61.5% in the first half, to gain a 26-point lead before reaching the halfway point. They also outscored them 47-40.
«In the last three games they have beaten us. It is not that we are losing, it is that they are crushing us, “said an annoyed Towns. You can have those little moral victories we’ve been talking about for seven years since I’ve been here. We played well, but we didn’t win. We are the best team, we just missed the shots. But that is not the case. They come here and beat us. It’s as simple as that, “he concluded.
Other highlights
Cavaliers: Since last November 1 they are 7-2 away from home, the third best record in the NBA after Phoenix (8-1) and Brooklyn (9-2). Ricky Rubio had 6 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists against his former team.
Timberwolves: All his starting quintet was combined with a -117 on the track. Although he exercised before the game, D’Angelo Russell eventually dropped out for the third day in a row (right ankle problems).
(Cover photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)