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Sports

Nets' hot shooting key in win over Wolves

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Brooklyn's offense could not be stopped in the Nets' 122-106 win over the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

The Timberwolves were without three starters -- Kevin Garnett, Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic -- and only had eight players available.

The Nets shot 57.8 percent with Joe Johnson leading the team with 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Bojan Bogdanovic added 21 off the bench, Thaddeus Young scored 19 against one of his former teams, and Brook Lopez and Jarrett Jack each recorded 16 in Brooklyn's second straight win.

"It was very important," said Johnson of the win. "In this game, you can't worry about who's playing, you just have to go out there and handle business."

Minnesota was 9-of-15 from 3-point range but could not get enough stops at the other end as the Timberwolves dropped their fifth straight game.

Kevin Martin paced Minnesota with 23 points, Zach LaVine netted 20 on a career-high of four 3s, Chase Budinger added 18 and Justin Hamilton contributed 15.

"I told our guys that we weren't going to play zone," said Minnesota coach Flip Saunders. "Sometimes you get your butt kicked. That's part of growing up."

Minnesota's largest lead of the game was one point, and it lasted for just 37 seconds. Adreian Payne hit a runner at 4:37 in the second quarter, and a couple possessions later, Bogdanovic returned the lead to the Nets for good.

Brooklyn closed the half on a 9-0 run to lead 67-55 at the break.

Minnesota's defense did not tighten up at all in the second half. The Nets maintained a double-digit lead throughout the period and led by as many as 19. They took a 98-79 lead into the fourth after their third quarter with 30-plus points.

An 8-0 run by the Timberwolves late in the game with Brooklyn's reserves in temporarily cut their deficit to 11, but Brooklyn scored the final six points of the game.

Game Notes

Minnesota is now 2-12 in the second half of back-to-back games ... Rubio and Pekovic are bothered by ankle injuries, and Garnett is dealing with knee soreness ... After beating the 76ers on Friday, Young played consecutive games against former teams ... Lopez moved past 7,000 career points with his 16- point effort ... The Nets scored 78 points in the paint.