Timberwolves hit 15 3-pointers in 104-90 win over Hawks
MINNEAPOLIS -- Zach LaVine, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins each scored more than 20 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves tied a season high with 15 3-pointers in a 104-90 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.
LaVine, Towns and Wiggins combined to go 13 of 18 from beyond the arc. LaVine had 21 points and connected for six 3s. Towns had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Wiggins scored 21 as Minnesota (10-21) came back strong a day after playing on Christmas for the first time in team history.
Atlanta, which had the weekend off after winning its fourth straight road game on Friday in Denver, was the team out of sync. The Hawks committed 19 turnovers and shot just 42.2 percent from the field.
Dwight Howard returned after missing three games because of back tightness and had 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Hawks (15-16). He was absent as Minnesota won in Atlanta last week.
Paul Millsap was limited to seven points on 2-of-13 shooting from the field for the Hawks.
Howard helped Atlanta to an early lead with seven points and five rebounds in the first five minutes. But he only played 21 minutes in his first game back and Minnesota pulled away in the third quarter even with Howard on the court.
The Timberwolves outscored the Hawks 35-20 in the third quarter, the largest point differential in the quarter for Minnesota this season. Wiggins hit three 3s and scored 12 points in the third quarter, and the Timberwolves put together a 22-3 run to lead by 28.
The young Timberwolves have added more of an emphasis on outside shooting this season, led by LaVine. He has at least five 3s in seven games this season and 12 for his career. Only Kevin Love has more such games in a Minnesota uniform with 16.
The Timberwolves have four games with at least 13 3-pointers made this season for the first time in franchise history.
NOTES: Atlanta G Tim Hardaway Jr. missed his second straight game with a right groin injury. ... Minnesota G Zach LaVine has been the team's leading scorer in 10 of the past 20 games. Heading into Monday, LaVine led the NBA in minutes (37.7 per game) and was 28th in scoring (21.4 points per game) and 15th in free-throw accuracy (88.1 percent). ... Hawks PG Dennis Schroder had scored in double digits in 15 straight games, the longest streak of his career, before finishing with eight points on Monday. ... Minnesota has a day off before playing Wednesday at Denver. The Timberwolves finish the calendar year with five games in eight days. Atlanta returns home to host the New York Knicks on Wednesday.