When Tom Thibodeau was hired as head coach and president of basketball operations in April 2016, he brought his no-nonsense style and hard-nosed defensive scheme to Minnesota.
Twenty-one months later, his defensive plans are beginning to flourish on the court.
The Timberwolves have held six straight opponents to under 100 points, dating back to their 107-90 victory over Indiana on New Year’s Eve. Only the Boston Celtics have had a longer streak this season when they held eight straight opponents to double digits from Oct. 20-Nov. 5.
| TEAM | STREAK | START-END |
| Boston Celtics | 8 | 10/20/2017 – 11/05/2017 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 6 | 12/31/2017 – ACTIVE |
| Washington Wizards | 5 | 11/09/2017 – 11/17/2017 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 5 | 11/13/2017 – 11/20/2017 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 4 | 11/10/2017 – 11/15/2017 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 4 | 11/29/2017 – 12/04/2017 |
And it’s not like the Timberwolves have had a cupcake schedule the past few weeks, either. Four of their last six opponents would make the playoffs if the season ended Wednesday, including Cleveland and Boston, both top-three teams in the Eastern Conference.
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On the season, Minnesota allows 105.0 points per game, which ranks 13th in the NBA. That’s much improved from its 18th-place finish last season and 23rd in 2015-16.
NOTABLE
— The Timberwolves and Thunder have both led 26 games at halftime, tied for second in the NBA. Minnesota is 20-6 in those games, while OKC is 19-7.
— Minnesota has seen at least five players score 10+ points in 33 games this year, good for the league lead.
— The Thunder lost 117-106 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night. They are 4-3 in the second game of a back-to-back this season.
— Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 28.1 points and 11.9 rebounds in his last seven games against the Thunder.
Statistics courtesy STATS
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