----- The Minnesota Timberwolves outscore the Blazers 32-22 in the fourth quarter to end Portland's three-game winning streak with a 108-107 win Monday night at Target Center.
The Trail Blazers were moments away from a four-game winning streak on the road before Jimmy Butler and the Minnesota Timberwolves ruined a perfect evening.
Butler sank two free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining to give the Wolves a 108-107 win Monday night at Target Center in Minneapolis, MN. Damian Lillard missed a contested three-pointer at the buzzer which would have given the Blazers their fourth-straight win on the road. Minnesota outscored the Blazers 32-22 in the fourth quarter. The Blazers committed five turnovers in the final quarter including a stretch where they coughed it up four-straight times. The Blazers had 17 turnovers on the night.
Butler led Minnesota (18-13) with a game-high 37 points. Jamal Crawford added 23 points on 10-for-16 shooting and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.
Portland (16-14) had great balance on offense. Jusuf Nurkic scored 20 points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots. CJ McCollum added 20 points and Shabazz Napier scored 15 points off the bench on 6-for-8 shooting. The Blazers shot 54.8% from the field including 10-for-24 from three-point range.
Next up- The Blazers will return home to host the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night at Moda Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 PM.
Chad's take- The Blazers dominated the game and yet they lost by a single point. This was the best offense we have seen from this group on the season. Now it's time to clean up the turnovers. Sloppy play in the fourth cost them the game. Not the officiating. Even with the loss, I will take 3-2 on a five-game road trip all day.