Since Jimmy Butler famously left town, it feels like everyone in the Minnesota Timberwolves organization can finally breathe a little easier. They acquired Robert Covington and Dario Saric in the trade, and since then have gone 7-2–a huge turnaround for a team whose internal drama and poor on-court chemistry made for a rough early season.
The team will face a challenge against the Boston Celtics tonight, but with the Wolves on the up-and-up and the Celtics still ironing out the kinks, it’s anyone’s game.
The Wolves blew out the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday 128-89. It matched the third-largest win margin in franchise history and the newcomer Covington contributed 21 points. Besides those points, though, teammate Karl-Anthony Towns has credited Covington with helping the team hold their last three opponents to under 100 points.
“When you see someone like him working that hard, it’s contagious,” Towns said of Covington’s defensive approach. “The energy is contagious and you just want to make sure you never let him down.”
Gordon Hayward is Showing Flashes
Getty ImagesBoston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward.
The Timberwolves likely won’t be worrying much about Gordon Hayward, but maybe they should be. Since accepting a bench role a few games ago the former All-Star has been showing flashes of his former self. He had 19 points in a game against the Knicks on November 21st, and he contributed another 14 in yesterday’s blowout of the Cavs.
It’s not a ton–this is definitely not the All-Star Hayward of early 2017. But Kyrie Irving praised him after the team’s highest-margined victory of the season.
“Look how much we won by,” Irving said. “I think that right there is a happy moment because it was all in the flow of our offense, it was all Gordon being Gordon.”
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Karl-Anthony Towns: Covington’s Energy is ‘Contagious’