Minnesota Timberwolves vs New Orleans Pelicans | 115 - 119

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Minnesota Timberwolves	32	38	24	21	115
New Orleans Pelicans	34	22	33	30	119

Stat	Minnesota Timberwolves	New Orleans Pelicans
Field Goals	27/55	28/46
3-Pointers	13/40	15/34
Free Throws	22/26	18/22
Rebounds	47	39
Assists	22	29
Steals	7	5
Blocks	7	5
Turnovers	9	16

New Orleans walked into Target Center with a 14-40 record and walked out with one of its sharper road wins of the season — a 119-115 upset of the 32-21 Timberwolves on Feb. 7.

The Pelicans didn’t win it with a single knockout punch. They won it by steadily turning the game toward their terms: cleaner offense, more connected passing, and a second-half scoring profile Minnesota couldn’t match. New Orleans finished with 29 assists to Minnesota’s 22, a gap that showed up most when the game tightened late.

How the game swung

Minnesota looked in control at halftime. The Timberwolves followed a tight first quarter (New Orleans led 34-32) by ripping off a 38-point second quarter to take a 70-56 lead into the break. For a team that entered in solid form (LWLWW), it had the feel of a routine home win.

Then the floor tilted.

New Orleans opened the third quarter with urgency and pace, winning the period 33-24 to slice the deficit to five. That stretch changed the geometry of the game: Minnesota’s margin for error disappeared, and every empty trip became magnified.

Fourth-quarter finish: Pelicans close, Wolves stall

The Pelicans carried the momentum into the fourth and finished the job with a 30-21 closing quarter. Minnesota managed just 21 points in the final 12 minutes after scoring 70 in the first half — a dramatic shift in efficiency and flow that defined the result.

In a one-possession game late, New Orleans’ ability to generate assisted looks mattered. Their 29 assists weren’t just a nice number — they were the mechanism that kept the offense organized when the game got tight.

Key numbers

Final: Pelicans 119, Timberwolves 115
Halftime: Timberwolves led 70-56
Third quarter: Pelicans won 33-24
Fourth quarter: Pelicans won 30-21
Assists: Pelicans 29, Timberwolves 22

What it means going forward

For New Orleans, this is the template: win the possession battle with connectivity, keep the ball moving, and give yourself a chance late even when the early game script goes sideways. For Minnesota, it’s a reminder that big second quarters don’t cash the check by themselves — not when the second half turns into a grind and the offense can’t maintain its structure.

The Timberwolves will feel this one because of the context: a home game against a team well below .500, and a 14-point halftime lead that didn’t survive the third-quarter shift. New Orleans earned it by being the steadier team when the game demanded it most.