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The Minnesota Timberwolves grabbed a decisive 127-99 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Target Center on Tuesday night.
It was a dominant performance from the Timberwolves that saw them hold the firm advantage over the Cavaliers throughout the contest that included them taking a 27-point lead into the half. According to u/Granny_Danger of Reddit, the win also marked All-Star forward Jimmy Butler's seventh straight over LeBron James.
Jimmy Butler has now won his last 7 games against LeBron James – spanning from October of 2015 to tonight.
On top of that, Butler got the better of the individual battle between each other as he posted an all-around performance with 21 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and three steals in 27 minutes of action in just three quarters on the floor. Meanwhile, James had one of his worst offensive outings of the season recording just 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting with eight rebounds, and five assists in 27 minutes played. He also finished with a minus-39, which is the worst plus-minus in a game of his career.
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It puts a cap on what has been an encouraging last few weeks for the Timberwolves, who appear to be finally trending in the right direction having won nine out of their last 12 games. It has pushed them to the fourth-best mark in the Western Conference, just 3.5 games out of the second overall spot. This could be a major win that Minnesota can build off moving ahead as a mental edge that they can beat the best teams in the league.
In his first season with the Timberwolves, Butler has played a tremendous part in changing the culture while leading the team to a high amount of success in the process. The 28-year-old has picked up his play over the last several weeks that was encapsulated with a strong month of December where he averaged 28.6 points on 50.6 percent shooting from the field. In fact, Butler is averaging 26.3 points on 50.3 percent shooting from the field with 6.0 assists over the last 12 games.
If Butler can continue to play at an elite level, it could bode well for the Timberwolves to make a significant push toward being considered a title contender and serious threat to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference.
