Minnesota Timberwolves (39-23) beat Memphis Grizzlies (23-37) 117-110 at home on Tuesday, March 3, after falling far behind. The Timberwolves were down 9 at one quarter break and still finished 7 ahead.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Grizzlies struck first, taking the opening quarter 32-23 and a 9-point lead after one. The Timberwolves cut into the deficit with a 34-30 second quarter, though the Grizzlies still led by 5 at halftime.
The Timberwolves won the third 32-20 to turn the game around, taking a 7-point lead into the fourth. The teams matched each other with 28 points apiece in the fourth quarter, and the Timberwolves closed regulation with a 117-110 lead.
What flipped it
The Timberwolves grabbed 31.7% of their own misses, while the Grizzlies recovered 11.4%. The Timberwolves made 32.1 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 29.1 for the Grizzlies. The second chances kept adding up.
At roughly 103 possessions per team, the Timberwolves produced 113.7 points per 100 possessions to 106.9 for the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 47-16.
Who carried the comeback
Anthony Edwards was the game's biggest individual force for MIN: 41 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 5 stl on 15-29 shooting. His Game Score of 32.8 led everyone. His team was +13 with him on the floor.
Walter Clayton Jr. led the Grizzlies with 9 pts, 1 reb, 9 ast on 2-6 shooting, good for a 12.2 Game Score.
Julius Randle (23 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast) and GG Jackson (12 pts, 11 reb, 0 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Timberwolves about a 81% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Memphis Grizzlies lead 4-2.
The Timberwolves are now 39-23, and the Grizzlies are 23-37. The Timberwolves last five before this game: W-L-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.