There have been wins against more high profile teams this season; Houston, OKC, Milwaukee. I challenge anyone to make an argument that there's been a better win then last nights. There's playing defense and there's playing defense. Holding a team to 90 points or a sub average shooting percentage, then there's smothering the other team and making it look like the Varsity is taking on the C squad.
The latter is how last night's game went. It's very plausible that the Jazz were spent after a close loss to the Thunder the night before. Maybe the Wolves would have been able to pull off the victory regardless of circumstances but I don't care to think about hypotheticals. The Timberwolves played their most complete game of the season & of recent memory. It took a 27 point fourth quarter, against a lot of the reserves, for the Jazz to manage only losing by 27. If coach T had kept the dogs on, it could have been a 40 to 50 point differential.
Wiggins and Towns kept their 20 point streaks going and a bulk of the remaining offense was divide up between Muhammed, Bjelica & Rubio. If those guys can keep playing as well as they have been, which is only a couple games for Bjeli up to a several weeks for Rubio.
If all of that isn't enough, there's the little fact that the Wolves pulled into a tie with the Kings in the race for eighth. Yeah, that's a great place to be in. Because the Kings will keep imploding and the Wolves will keep improving. Whether there is enough time and games left for them to over take the Nuggets remains to be known but one victory, the biggest victory of the year, not only kept the door open, pushed it wider then it had been at this time yesterday.
All told, it adds up to a great day to be a Wolves fan. It adds up to optimism that should last til Saturday and beyond. It should add up to each and every one who likes NBA basketball and the Timberwolves enjoying the defensive pressure and offensive prowess. Just don't lay another Houston egg!