(Toronto) Fred VanVleet scored 28 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a third straight win, 122-107 over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Pascal Siakam had 27 points and 10 rebounds and added six assists for the Raptors (35-36). Jakob Poeltl added 14 points, including 12 in the first quarter, and 11 rebounds.
Poeltl’s 12 points in the first quarter is a career high this season. His previous mark for most points in a single quarter was 10 on March 2 against the Washington Wizards.
In the loss, Naz Reid had 22 points after starting the game on the bench. The Timberwolves (35-37) suffered a third straight loss.
VanVleet started the game with a bang, scoring 15 points in the first quarter, including a three-pointer with 4:58 left in the period to give the Raptors a four-point lead.
Montreal’s Chris Boucher blocked a Reid shot with 36 seconds left in the third quarter. Then, at the other end of the court, he converted a pass from Siakam into a three-point field goal.
On the Timberwolves’ next possession, Gary Trent Jr. stole the ball from Jordan McLaughlin, drove to the unopposed field goal and fired a stride shot that gave the Raptors a 94-85 lead before start the fourth quarter.
“I think we needed this win to bring joy back into the team,” Boucher said after the game.
“We play a lot, and the thing we focused on was knowing what we are capable of doing, and giving the maximum in that regard. »
