The Minnesota Timberwolves woke up from their elongated slumber Tuesday to beat the Chicago Bulls 99-94 on the road.
All five Minnesota starters scored in double figures. Zach LaVine led the way with 24 points, six assists and six rebounds. Andrew Wiggins notched 23 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points while hauling in 12 rebounds.
Possibly the most promising sign to Minnesota's surprise win was the form of point guard Ricky Rubio. Once a promising playmaker who oozed talent on both ends of the court, Rubio has struggled to make an impact in recent seasons. But he scored 11 points with 10 assists Tuesday, which was just his second double-double of the season.
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The Timberwolves entered Tuesday losers in eight of their last nine games. The cold streak was inexplicable considering Minnesota's promising, young nucleus. This game could be a springboard for the rest of their season.
Jimmy Butler, who is quickly becoming one of the most reliable stars in the league, tried his best to help the Bulls claw out a victory. He scored 27 points with nine rebounds and six assists. The only thing missing from his game is a more consistent jump shot.
Stud of the night
Recently demoted Orlando Magic point guard Elfrid Payton made a case to reclaim his starting spot in a 131-120 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Payton scored 26 points with 14 assists off the bench, becoming the first player this season with at least 20 points and 10 assists in a game when not in the starting lineup.
Golden State Warriors stars: Draymond Green stole the show in a 113-109 win over the New Orleans Pelicans by snatching a triple-double, in which he scored 12 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Stephen Curry added 30 points and seven assists, and Kevin Durant poured in 27 points.
Green's 15 career triple-doubles are the third most in the NBA since he entered the league in the 2012-13.
WATCH: Anthony Davis loses his cool, scolds ref following Green steal
Dud of the night
Derrick Rose had a night he'd rather soon forget in a 113-111 overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns. The beleaguered point guard finished with just two points on 0-of-6 shooting in 10 minutes of action before leaving the game with back spasms. Injuries can't be controlled, but Rose was in for a putrid night even before his back flared up.
Highlight
The LeBron James-Kevin Love connection was strong on this pass:
LeBron with the no-look pass to Kevin Love!#DefendTheLand pic.twitter.com/87QtbEsIe2
— NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2016
Love finished the 103-86 win over the Memphis Grizzlies with 29 points and 13 rebounds. James pitched in 23 points and eight assists.
James, Love and Irving will all rest on Wednesday.
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What's next
Celtics (13-11) at Spurs (19-5), 9:30 p.m. ET — Isaiah Thomas will be out once again with a groin injury, leaving the Celtics without its top scorer and distributor in this difficult matchup. Kawhi Leonard has been nearly unstoppable for San Antonio lately, but he could use a bit more support from the rest of the team.