Thanks to a buzzer-beating heave from Karl-Anthony Towns in overtime, the Minnesota Timberwolves walked away from Wednesday night's game against the Memphis Grizzlies with a 99-97 victory, snapping a two-game losing streak.
Towns dealt with foul trouble through the first three quarters of play, which forced him to spend a lot of time on the bench. However, the former No. 1 overall pick made his presence felt in overtime.
On the final possession of Wednesday's game, Timberwolves guard Andrew Wiggins began to dribble out the clock. With six seconds remaining and the game tied at 97, he hoisted a three. The shot bounced off the right side of the rim, but Towns managed to grab the rebound. With time running out, Towns took one dribble and buried a desperation shot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bjo56USAsmQ
During his post-game media availability, Towns likened his last-second shot to a “green release in NBA 2K.”
Towns said the final shot felt like a “green release in 2k.”
— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) January 31, 2019
“The basketball gods weren't treating me well, but I stuck with it,” Towns told ESPN after Wednesday's game. “I was saying, `All right, they owe me one. The gods owe me one and the next chance I get, I'm going to make it.”
Towns logged 26 minutes in Wednesday's matchup, scoring 16 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds and two assists. Jerryd Bayless led Minnesota in scoring with 19 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and two steals, marking the fifth double-double performance of his career.
“It's been 11 years for me to get this opportunity and I'm trying to take advantage of it as much as I can,” Bayless told ESPN. “I know how rare and how hard it is for these to come about.”
The Timberwolves will look to keep their momentum rolling on Saturday night, when they'll serve as hosts to the Denver Nuggets. Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. ET inside the Target Center.
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