Blazers’ Youngsters Shock Wolves, 106-98

For the second straight year, the Portland Trail Blazers outplayed the Minnesota Timberwolves with a wild 106-98 win. The Blazers looked loose and energetic, and the Timberwolves, who fell to .500 this season, couldn’t hit unblocked shots or stop Portland from getting to the rim. Let’s dive in.

Blazers of the Night: Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe. Portland’s rookie set the tone in interior defense all night, reaping the rewards of the pick-and-roll with Scoot Henderson and Dalano Banton. He finished the game with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 8 blocks. Sharpe dominated the Wolves tonight and showed off his offensive skills to seal the game with 33 points and 6 rebounds.

Key Stat: The Timberwolves scored two points in the first 5:30 minutes of the fourth quarter. The Wolves had an 18% shooting percentage on three-pointers in the game, and while Portland’s aggressive defense helped, there were plenty of missed shots. It was a disastrous performance, and there could be panic in Minnesota’s front office tonight.

What we’ll remember: The little kids’ breakout game. Without Deandre Ayton (injury) and Anfernee Simons (illness), the kids ran completely around the Timberwolves, who often looked lost and unprepared.

Box score

What’s next: A glorious breakthrough for the Blazers. Portland has three full days off to rest and recover and will face the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday at 3 p.m.