The Timberwolves’ losing streak in Toronto reached 20 years and 20 games with Thursday night’s 110-105 loss to the Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.
The Wolves haven’t won in Toronto since Jan. 21, 2004, back when Kevin Garnett was on his way to his MVP season and started that day in a lineup with Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell, Trenton Hassell and Ervin Johnson.
Current Wolves star Anthony Edwards was 2 years old.
Playing without injured starting point guard Mike Conley (left toe sprain), the Wolves were outdone Thursday by a 13-1 Raptors run late in the game after the Wolves led 93-88 with seven minutes left. The Raptors outscored the Wolves 33-26 in the fourth quarter, taking the lead on two free throws by Scottie Barnes with 4:48 left not long after the Wolves turned it over on a Rudy Gobert 3-second violation.
“For sure, Mike makes a difference every time he plays for us, you know?” Wolves coach Chris Finch told reporters in Toronto about his sidelined point guard. “We haven’t really been able to generate a lot of consistent offense when he hasn’t played. Tonight was probably another example of that.”
The Raptors pounded the Wolves in the paint 56-40. Their bench also outscored the Wolves bench 34-15 in a game neither team ever led by double digits.
“We knew they were going to try to live in our paint,” Finch said.
Edwards scored 26 points, Julius Randle had 23 and Jaden McDaniels finished with a season-high 22 for the Wolves, but that wasn’t enough when Toronto’s RJ Barrett reached the basket seemingly at will and scored 31 points on 10-for-14 shooting.