The Timberwolves won their first game of the season in exciting fashion, defeating the Utah Jazz 100-97 in their home opener.
This game came down to the wire, as you'd expect from the final score. The focus will be on the last few possessions, when Jamal Crawford hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 28 seconds left in the game and Jimmy Butler grabbed a rebound at the wire to seal it. But the most interesting portion strategically came earlier, with 5:46 remaining in the fourth quarter. That's the point when coach Tom Thibodeau substituted power forward Nemanja Bjelica out for Andrew Wiggins, creating an intriguing smallball lineup with Butler at power forward.