Charlotte didn’t win this at the buzzer. The Hornets won it with pace, passing and a relentless second-half squeeze that Minnesota never solved.
After trailing at the break, Charlotte ripped control away with a 34-19 third quarter, then backed it up with a 33-29 fourth to close out a 122-108 win over the Timberwolves on Sunday at Target Center. The result pushed the Hornets (43-36) further into the playoff picture while Minnesota (46-32) absorbed another hit in a stretch that’s been trending the wrong way.
How the game turned
Minnesota looked like it had stabilized the night in the second quarter. After a sluggish 21-point first, the Timberwolves erupted for 39 in the second to take a halftime lead despite Charlotte’s steady start.
Then the floor tilted. Charlotte’s third quarter was the game: 34 points for the Hornets, 19 for Minnesota. That’s a 15-point swing in 12 minutes — enough to erase the Wolves’ best offensive stretch and replace it with a deficit that only grew as the game tightened.
Ball movement was the separator
Charlotte’s advantage showed up cleanly in the passing numbers: 31 assists to Minnesota’s 24. In a game without overtime and with both teams trading runs, that seven-assist gap mattered. The Hornets consistently generated offense through connected possessions, while Minnesota too often had to restart possessions late in the clock after the third-quarter tide turned.
Quarter-by-quarter: the story in four splits
First quarter: Charlotte sets the tone
The Hornets opened with a 29-21 edge, immediately putting Minnesota in catch-up mode.
Second quarter: Minnesota’s counterpunch
The Timberwolves’ 39-point second quarter was the offensive peak of their night, a stretch that briefly suggested they could outrun Charlotte’s balance.
Third quarter: the knockout swing
Charlotte’s 34-19 third wasn’t just a run — it was a reset. The Hornets turned the game into their preferred shape and never gave it back.
Fourth quarter: Charlotte closes, Minnesota can’t flip it
Minnesota scored 29 in the fourth, but Charlotte answered with 33 to keep the margin intact and finish the job.
What it means going forward
For Charlotte, this was a road win that matched form with execution. The Hornets entered playing strong basketball and left with a result that reinforces their identity: shared creation, sustained pressure after halftime, and the ability to win without relying on a single-quarter spike.
For Minnesota, the concern is less the final margin and more the timing. At 46-32, the Timberwolves still own a strong record, but the recent form has been uneven, and Sunday’s second-half collapse underscored how thin the margin gets when the ball stops moving and the opponent dictates the third quarter.