Make that three straight wins for the Spurs with a chance to make it four in less than 24 hours.
They needed an extra session but the Spurs, coming into Minnesota riding high on two wins over both Los Angeles teams, beat the Timberwolves 125-122.
Meanwhile, for the Timberwolves, it's their seventh loss in a row after they started the season 2-0.
Of the seven, this is only the second loss that Minnesota have suffered by single digits. Why you might ask?
KAT balls out in return
That's because their superstar center Karl-Anthony Towns was missing in all of the previous six games. In this one, although the team lost, the 25-year-old showed up!
KAT throws it down! pic.twitter.com/6hqMe6WN3H
— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) January 10, 2021
Coming off a wrist injury, he played 37 minutes and stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks on 9-of-17 shooting from the field.
With his defensive rebound on the last Minnesota possession, Karl-Anthony Towns passed Kevin Love for second on the @Timberwolves All-Time defensive rebounds list with 3,109.
— Timberwolves PR (@Twolves_PR) January 10, 2021
He was one of six Minnesota players in double figures and was, by far, the team's biggest contributor but it wasn't enough. Largely, in part due to DeMar DeRozan.
DeMar comes up BIG
DeRozan finished with a game-high 38 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field. More importantly, he played his best basketball of the game when it mattered the most.
He scored nine of the team's last 10 fourth-quarter points and all of his 11 fourth-quarter points came in the final four minutes. Not to mention, the game-tying free-throws that forced overtime.
.@DeMar_DeRozan taking matters into his own hands 😤#GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/UyaUZ4u0ky
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 10, 2021
In overtime, his lone assist of the period was to Patty Mills for the baseline jumper that went on to be the dagger.
The 38 points are a season-high and the most DeRozan has scored as a Spur.
38 PTS for @DeMar_DeRozan as the @spurs win their 3rd in a row! #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/oaTQnhLqPW
— NBA (@NBA) January 10, 2021
Mills comes up clutch as 'Boomers Patty' shows up again
For the second time in three games, 'Boomers Patty' was on the court for the Spurs.
In this one, he scored 21 points in 30 minutes off the bench on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 from distance. If DeMar was the team's star in the fourth, it was Mills in the overtime session.
He was responsible for eight of the team's 12 points in the extra period.
Patty fears NO buzzer!!!! 😧#GoSpursGo | @spurs pic.twitter.com/Y9AZnbJlcE
— FOX Sports Southwest (@FOXSportsSW) January 10, 2021
Through nine games early into this season, this is the third instance of Mills scoring 20 or more off the bench.
Mills and DeRozan were two of five Spurs in double figures as the team scored 24 points off Minnesota's 17 turnovers while only committing six themselves. Dejounte Murray was the other major contributor for San Antonio with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists.
What's next?
Both teams will suit up and face-off once again in less than 24 hours at the Target Center. Can San Antonio extend their win streak to four or will KAT help the hosts snap their seven-game win streak.
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