Burke's Hot Shooting Leads Jazz Over Timberwolves
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Trey Burke bounced back from a horrendous shooting night to score a season-high 28 points and the Utah Jazz handed the Minnesota Timberwolves their 11th straight loss with a 101-89 victory on Saturday night.
After going 2 for 19, including 0 for 11 from 3-point range, against Atlanta on Friday, Burke hit 10 of 16 shots and 4 of 6 3-pointers. Rudy Gobert added 13 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks to help the Jazz roll on the second night of a back-to-back. The Jazz (12-22) have won six of their last nine games.
Andrew Wiggins scored 20 points, but the Timberwolves shot just 39.5 percent and missed 10 of their first 11 3-pointers to fall to 5-27. They have won just once in their last 18 games.
The Wolves had Friday off to prepare for the game, but they were lifeless from the start. The Jazz opened a 20-point lead in the third quarter and cruised to an easy win.
The Jazz shot 50.7 percent, hit 11 of 20 3s and outrebounded Minnesota 47-37. Derrick Favors had 15 points and eight rebounds.
The short-handed Wolves have been desperate for a victory during this terrible slide and figured to have a good chance against a Jazz team that arrived in town early Saturday morning. Utah also lost big man Enes Kanter (sprained right ankle) and starting shooting guard Patrick Christopher (dislocated right patella) to injuries in a physical game against the East-leading Hawks.
The Wolves have played much of the season without starters Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Martin, but that was no excuse against a young Jazz team that was struggling with injuries of its own. As usual, the Wolves lacked energy at the start of the game and their opponent took advantage.
Utah hit 8 of 12 3-point attempts through the first 32 minutes of the game and blew the doors open with a 15-2 run early in the third quarter to take a 68-48 lead.
A brief flurry by Mo Williams, who scored 20 points, helped the Wolves trim the deficit to eight points early in the fourth. But the defensively inept group couldn't find an answer for Burke, the erratic second-year point guard drafted by the Wolves last year but traded that night for Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Burke entered the night averaging 18.4 points per game against the Timberwolves. He scored 26 against them last week. ... Joe Ingles started at shooting guard for the injured Christopher. ... Trevor Booker had 15 rebounds and eight points.
Timberwolves: Reserve F Chase Budinger missed the game with an illness. ... Dieng was the only other Wolves player in double figures with 10 points.
NEXT UP
Jazz: Host Indiana on Monday.
Timberwolves: Host Denver on Monday.
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