LaVine, Wiggins help Wolves cruise past Magic
ORLANDO -- Zack LaVine scored a career-high 37 points and Andrew Wiggins added 29, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to an easy, 123-107 victory over the Orlando Magic Wednesday night at the Amway Center.
The Timberwolves (2-5) led from start to finish in snapping a three-game losing streak and winning their first road game this season. They showed no signs of fatigue after losing the previous night in Brooklyn, and never were seriously challenged.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 14 of his 20 points in the first half and grabbed 11 rebounds. Forward Gorgui Dieng had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
LaVine made 14 of 22 shots and hit seven of nine 3-pointers. Wiggins made 10 of 18 shots and two of his four 3-pointers.
Center Nikola Vucevic led the Magic (3-5) with 24 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Point guard Elfrid Payton had 18 points and seven assists. Guard Evan Fournier added 13 points, Serge Ibaka 11 points and D.J. Augustin 10.
The Wolves led by 22 points after the first quarter, 27 after the second and 20 after the third. The Magic never got closer than 10 points in the fourth.
Vucevic, who had eight points in the first half, scored 14 points in the third period, but the Magic still trailed by 20 points going into the fourth.
The Wolves led, 74-47, at intermission, riding 19 points from both Wiggins and LaVine. They led by as many as 30 points in the first half when they made 26 of 43 shots (60 percent) and hit nine of 13 from 3-point range.
It was the fifth time this season the Wolves scored at least 60 points in the first half.
The Magic made only one of seven 3-pointers in the first half when they fell behind quickly and hardly challenged.
Orlando coach Frank Vogel showed his frustration early when he received his second technical foul of the season, protesting a foul call on Ibaka in the first period.
The Wolves outrebounded the Magic 24-14 in the first half and committed just three turnovers. The Magic had six in the first two periods and were outhustled everywhere on the court early.
NOTES: The Timberwolves were without PG Ricky Rubio (sprained right elbow) for the fifth consecutive game. ... Magic F Aaron Gordon isn't shy about his individual goals this season. Gordon, in his third season, wants to be the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, an award won three times by former Magic center Dwight Howard. "I'm ready for that challenge," Gordon said. ... Neither team has been very good defensively this season. The Timberwolves came into the game having allowed more than 100 points six times already this season. "Unless we correct the defensive end, it's going to be a struggle," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. The Magic were allowing opponents to shoot 46.3 percent from the field, which was 24th worst in the NBA. Magic coach Frank Vogel said before the game he would consider a lineup change, possibly replacing starting C Nikola Vucevic with Bismack Biyombo if the defense doesn't improve. ... Timberwolves F Andrew Wiggins came into the game tied for the league lead in 3-point shooting percentage (66.7 percent).