Chapter Forty-Four: The Rocket Malfunctions

"Do you know what you did in this quarter?"
Back on the bench, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau's face was dark with anger as he pointed at the team's backup center, Cole Aldrich. "You let a rookie snatch an offensive rebound and deliver a top-tier performance."
"Oh, Cole, I really want to know what's going through your mind right now!" Given Cole Aldrich's timid return to offense after getting dunked on, Thibodeau was utterly exasperated.
After being scolded by the coach, Cole Aldrich dared not reply. He hung his head in silence.
He knew well that his performance in the second quarter had left a bad impression on Thibodeau, and the consequences were easy to imagine.
Seeing his big man unwilling to speak, Thibodeau’s fury only grew. He turned to the other players who had just come on and lowered his tone: "Guys, you let a newcomer disrupt your rhythm, and that kid had only played less than five minutes before tonight!"
"Before today, his entire career scoring total was just two points!" Thibodeau’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Keep him in check. We still hold the initiative!"
Thibodeau was not wrong. Although the Magic had launched a strong counterattack at the start of the second quarter with an 8-0 run, the Timberwolves were already ahead by 22 points. Even now, they maintained a double-digit lead.
He called the timeout only because the team's offensive rhythm had been completely upset by Wu Rui's two prior dunks—a 2+1 from an offensive rebound, and that apparent turnover turned into an alley-oop—that had thrown the Timberwolves off balance. The final three-pointer was just the icing on the cake, stirring up a tidal wave.
Thibodeau's timeout was meant to firmly suppress that surge.
So, after the timeout, Thibodeau made a personnel adjustment. Cole Aldrich was replaced, and the number one draft pick, Karl-Anthony Towns, returned to the court!
"Oh, Minnesota has no intention of letting their opponents build momentum. With Karl back on the floor, they're getting serious!" The sideline announcer saw the Timberwolves’ starting center standing by the baseline, ready to inbound the ball, and shook his head. "With Karl locking down the paint, Michael's magic ends here."
"Honestly, I'd like Karl to stay out a bit longer. I haven't had my fill of Michael's show," another commentator lamented. "He's the best Asian dunker I've ever seen."

The fans in the arena felt a chill at the Timberwolves' lineup change. Towns was not Cole Aldrich; he would never allow a rookie to wreak havoc under his basket.
As everyone expected, Towns’ return immediately restored the Timberwolves’ offensive rhythm. Jones, previously outpaced by Watson, capitalized on his speed, breaking away from the aging CJ Watson with a few swift crossovers.
Inside, Stephen Zimmerman saw Jones driving in and naturally couldn't just stand by. He moved to contest, but Jones clearly had no intention of forcing a shot. He lobbed the ball high, and his gaze fell upon the big man Zimmerman had overlooked.
Karl-Anthony Towns leaped up, grasped the ball with both hands, and hammered it into the hoop as if cracking a walnut!
"Roar—"
Towns bellowed, announcing his presence.
"Alley-oop—that’s the Timberwolves' talent on full display. They play so effortlessly," the broadcaster commented, comparing it to the Magic's earlier alley-oop. "Look at Tyus’s perfect pass. CJ Watson only avoided a recorded turnover because of Michael’s incredible bounce."
Of course, Towns' impact wasn't limited to offense. As Thibodeau demanded, the Timberwolves’ defense now skewed noticeably toward Wu Rui. Whenever Wu Rui began to move, whether it was Zach LaVine or the ever-ready Shabazz Muhammad, they were quick to close in, granting him no space to receive the ball.
After every Magic attempt, regardless of whether the shot went in, Towns claimed the prime rebounding position. Despite Zimmerman’s effort, the gap in skill was too great; Towns collected the board without suspense.
"What happened to your bounce?" Jones caught Towns' pass and pushed forward. LaVine taunted the retreating Wu Rui: "Looks like even rockets can misfire!"
LaVine's meaning was simple—wasn't Wu Rui said to have rocket-propelled hops?
From now on, this rocket would fail in tonight's game.
"No, man, rockets never misfire," Wu Rui smiled, understanding LaVine's words, and replied lightly, "They just need time to refuel."

"Forget it, that fuel will never arrive!" With those words, Zach LaVine suddenly cut backdoor, catching Wu Rui off guard, found the open space, took Jones’s pass, and fired off a mid-range jumper. The ball landed perfectly.
After sinking the shot, LaVine puckered his lips at Wu Rui, who had just managed to chase him down.
The rest of the game became straightforward. The Magic’s lineup had relied on Wu Rui’s initial surge, but now Towns and LaVine had shut that down, and the difference in strength was obvious.
With Towns guarding the paint, Wu Rui had no opportunity to dunk. He tried two outside shots—one left, one right—but missed both.
Midway through the second quarter, Magic coach Vogel made lineup changes. He couldn’t afford to truly give up so early; after applying some pressure to his main rotation, he swapped all five and brought the starters back.
Vogel’s move woke his starters from their slumber, and they regained their form—but it was too late.
Moreover, after the Magic’s substitution, the Timberwolves brought Wiggins back to maintain their offense and defense, and the game’s rhythm stayed firmly in Minnesota’s hands.
With Shabazz Muhammad hitting a buzzer-beating three, the Timberwolves ended the third quarter leading the Magic 97-77, twenty points ahead on the road!
The fourth quarter saw both sides trading blows, but the outcome was never in doubt. In the end, with LaVine, Wiggins, and Towns combining for 86 points, the Minnesota Timberwolves ended their four-game losing streak in Orlando!
After the game, the player interviewed by the media was none other than Zach LaVine, who scored 37 points in this contest.