The Minnesota Timberwolves needed a quick turnaround after falling into a 55-43 deficit at the half of Friday's game against the Dallas Mavericks. Jimmy Butler and company turned it all around, limiting the Mavs to 17 points in the third quarter and 15 on the fourth, playing the best Tom Thibodeau defense they have all season while putting up 30-plus-point quarters in the second half.
Butler attributed this quick turnaround to Thibodeau's words at halftime, ones which he gave into saying after a personal request.
“Do your f***ing job, play with f***ing energy, and a lot of other f-words,” Butler told Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post after being asked for an exact quote.
All five Minnesota starters scored in double digits, playing over 32 minutes each in true Thibodean fashion, as the newly-inspired Jimmy Buckets led the way with 21 points, sparking the defensive clampdown as the Mavs shot a mere 37 percent for the game.
The Timberwolves have now won three straight games and eight of their last 10, despite playing nine of their first 15 games on the road — a welcome sight for the Twin Cities fan base as this newly-assembled roster has managed to overcome an unexpected 2-3 start to the season.
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