MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves and star center Karl-Anthony won Sunday night's contest of attrition, beating a Utah team missing its two best players and its coach as well.
Towns' 31-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double fueled the Wolves' 126-106 victory at Target Center.
It came after two December losses — one home, one road — against an opponent they just hadn't seemed able to beat.
At least not until Sunday, when they led by as many as 19 points in the third quarter and as many as 21 before night's end.
Towns scored 18 of his game-high 31 points in that third quarter alone. He sat down at the fourth quarter's beginning. But came back with a big lead and recorded two more assists to get that triple-double before he left the game for good in the final two minutes.
Teammate Jaden McDaniels added a perfect 9-for-9 shooting night — more than a couple dunks — that included 3-for-3 on threes and 22 points scored.
The Wolves began the game without starters D'Angelo Russell and Patrick Beverley as well as Josh Okogie and Leandro Bolmaro while the Jazz were down stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert as well as Trent Forrest and Danuel House Jr.
Then Utah lost head coach Quin Snyder for the night when he went on the league's health and safety protocols Sunday afternoon.
Longtime assistant Alex Jensen moved over one chair to lead the Western Conference's fifth-place team.
And then if that wasn't enough, Jazz starting forward Joe Ingles crumpled to the court midway through the second quarter. He was helped with a colleague under each arm to the locker room with what looked like a scary leg injury.
Ingles did not return and will have an MRI tomorrow when the Jazz return to Salt Lake City.
Utah had arrived at Target Center with a 30-20 record, but had lost its last four games and six of its last seven.
Now make that five consecutive losses and seven of its last eight.
"They're still a really good team," Wolves coach Chris Finch said. "They've got great players and a great system. They've been struggling a little bit lately, so they'll be looking to get right, too."
Snyder's absence left the Jazz with three assistant coaches — including former Wolves coach Vince Legarza – helping out Jensen. He has coached in the G League as well as with the Jazz's summer-league teams and the game or two through the years when Snyder got ejected from games.
Asked who would take his place is he got tossed, too, Jensen said, "I told them they can decide whoever get to the chair first."
Just call it another night of musical chairs that is this COVID-19 NBA.
"You see a lot of head coaches going out," Jensen said. "It's always in the back of your minds, so you prepare for it the best you can, staff and players. It makes it, not easy, but you step in and keep it flowing the best I can."
The Wolves trailed 6-0 and 9-3 early, but led 26-20 by first quarter's end. They led 37-29 midway through the second before the Jazz went on a 10-0 run that turned a Wolves' 41-37 lead into a 48-41 Utah advantage with 2:20 left before halftime.
The Wolves, in turn, then finished the first half with an 11-0 run themselves that included consecutive three pointers made by Towns and McDaniels.
That gave the Wolves a 52-48 halftime lead they took to halftime before they ran the lead to as many as 19 points by late in the third quarter. They led 92-75 after three quarters.
