Timberwolves (25-16), Pelicans (19-19)
MINNEAPOLIS – For a third time over the past two months of the regular season, Minnesota posted a victory over New Orleans. Saturday’s matchup was by far the least competitive of the three. The Timberwolves raced to a big first-half lead, going up by 21 at intermission, then extended it to 30-plus midway through the third quarter. The Western Conference’s current fourth-place team nearly reached the century mark entering the final 12 minutes, building a 98-71 lead in a dominant performance.
In November, the Timberwolves prevailed in the Crescent City by margins of six and 18 points.