Lin, Lamb, lead Hornets over short-handed Wolves
Charlotte Hornets’ Marvin Williams, right, elbows out Minnesota Timberwolves’ Adreian Payne during a chase for the ball in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015, in Minneapolis. The Hornets won 104-95. AP
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota—Jeremy Lin scored 19 points and Jeremy Lamb added 18 to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a 104-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
Nicolas Batum added 17 points for the Hornets, who overcame a combined 7-for-21 shooting from Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker to beat the depleted Timberwolves.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks for the Timberwolves, who played without starters Andrew Wiggins (sore right knee), Ricky Rubio (sore left knee) and Kevin Garnett (rest). Zach LaVine added 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
The Hornets were outrebounded 48-34, but outscored Minnesota’s bench 57-23. Cody Zeller added 14 points and six rebounds.
Lamb hit eight of his 10 shots, including 2 for 3 from 3-point land, and Lin hit a tough fallaway jumper over Towns’ outstretched hand with under four minutes to play that helped turn back the Wolves.
The Timberwolves turned the ball over 22 times, which led to 22 Hornets points. LaVine turned it over eight times.
One night after a stirring victory at Eastern Conference power Atlanta gave the surprising Timberwolves a 4-2 record in which every victory has come on the road, they jumped out to an 11-point lead in the first quarter thanks to some inspired play from Towns and Adreian Payne, who started for Garnett.
The Hornets fought back by getting to the free throw line relentlessly, going 14 of 17 on freebies in the first quarter alone. Lamb and Line got going in the second quarter against Minnesota’s porous backcourt defense from the reserve guards.
Lamb scored 12 in the second quarter and Lin got into the paint at ease against a defense that had been in the top five in the league through the first six games. But with defensive stalwarts Garnett, Wiggins and Rubio all out, the Wolves were powerless to stop the fresher Hornets.
A 9-0 run bridging the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters pushed Charlotte’s lead to 11, and the Hornets (3-4) held on.
