Minnesota Timberwolves (40-23) beat Toronto Raptors (35-27) 115-107 at home on Thursday, March 5.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Timberwolves had the better start, winning the first 31-27 to lead by 4 after one. The Raptors cut into the deficit with a 27-24 second quarter, though the Timberwolves still led by 1 at halftime.
The Timberwolves won the third 35-22 to create some separation, taking a 14-point lead into the fourth. The Raptors took the fourth 31-25; the Timberwolves held on for a 115-107 regulation win.
What decided it
The Timberwolves got more from their shots, finishing at 59.9% effective field-goal shooting compared with 54.8% for the Raptors. The Timberwolves made 22.2 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 19.3 for the Raptors. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Raptors did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 23.9% against 17.1%. The Timberwolves made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 96 possessions per team, the Timberwolves produced 120 points per 100 possessions to 111.6 for the Raptors.
Who made the difference
Rudy Gobert was the game's biggest individual force for MIN: 18 pts, 12 reb, 5 ast, 3 blk on 7-8 shooting. His Game Score of 25 led everyone. His team was +18 with him on the floor.
RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 25 pts, 6 reb, 0 ast on 9-14 shooting, good for a 18.7 Game Score.
Rudy Gobert (18 pts, 12 reb, 5 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Timberwolves about a 72% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Minnesota Timberwolves lead 2-1.
The Timberwolves are now 40-23, and the Raptors are 35-27. The Timberwolves last five before this game: L-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.