Grizzlies topple the Timberwolves in Minnesota

This is the 16th win over the Timberwolves for Memphis in their last 19 matchups.

After the game was over interim coach Sam Mitchell again talked about his team’s lax defense to start the game.

Guard Zach LaVine scored 25 points but the Timberwolves (4-6) could not match the Memphis shooters, falling to 0-5 at home with their fourth consecutive loss.

As a team, the Grizzlies shot 9 of 17 from three-point range. “We rebounded enough. We had turnovers, bad turnovers at the wrong time of the game, but overall we didn’t turn the ball over a lot”.

I thought we were aggressive going to the paint, which was good, because obviously there’s a lot of people in there, but once we got into the paint but didn’t settle…

Memphis Grizzlies forward JaMychal Green (0) pulls down a rebound over Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng (5) and Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, bottom, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Minneapolis, Sunday, November 15, 2015.

G Andrew Wiggins scored 26 for the Timberwolves, who dropped their third in a row.

The Timberwolves aren’t putting a timetable on Rubio’s return, but they have said they will be cautious with him so early in the season.

-Kevin Garnett became the fifth player to log 50,000 career minutes. Minnesota played the French National Anthem before the game as a tribute to the lives lost in the terrorist attacks in Paris.

-Andre Miller managed to play 33½ minutes tonight and handed out a season-high eight assists off the bench.

The other players who reached that milestone are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Jason Kidd and Elvin Hayes. The Wolves have given up 115.5 points per 100 possessions over the four-game losing streak, and they gave up 114 points on Sunday to a Memphis Grizzlies squad that’s been really struggling to put the ball in the basket.

Second-year guard Zach LaVine has been starting at point guard in Rubio’s place, but the Wolves sorely miss their veteran starter’s ability to organize the offense and provide a strong presence on the defensive end. “Has a real moxie about him and the way he plays in pick-and-roll, just takes his time to find guys like a quarterback would.”…