Memphis Grizzlies vs Minnesota Timberwolves Box Score on Apr 09, 2018

The win kept the Timberwolves (46-35) in the thick of the Western playoff race with just one game remaining in the regular season. After the Denver Nuggets (46-35) beat the Portland Trail Blazers late Monday night, Wednesday's regular-season finale between the Nuggets and Timberwolves in Minnesota will send the winner to the playoffs and the loser home for the summer.

After the Grizzlies led by as many as 10 points in the first quarter and 37-28 early in the second, the Timberwolves took charge with a 15-0 burst. Towns had eight of the 15 points in a run that put Minnesota ahead for good at 43-37.

Towns hit 11 of his 14 shots in the win, helping the Timberwolves shoot 48.3 percent for the game.

Jeff Teague matched Towns' scoring total with 24 points and added a game-high eight assists for the Timberwolves, who had lost two of their previous three games.

Jimmy Butler, in just his second game back from a serious knee injury, added 15 points for Minnesota, while Derrick Rose chipped in with 13 and Gorgui Dieng 11.

Butler played 23 minutes after having gone 24 in his return Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers. He had 18 points in that game.

The win allowed the Timberwolves to avoid getting swept by the Grizzlies in the three-game season series.

Ben McLemore led five Grizzlies in double figures with 18 points. Memphis was coming off an emotional 130-117 win in its home finale against Detroit on Sunday.

Dillon Brooks (15 points), Ivan Rabb (14), MarShon Brooks (14) and Deyonta Davis (10) also scored in double figures for the Grizzlies (22-59), who clinched the second-worst record in the NBA.

Rabb grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and MarShon Brooks dished off a team-high five assists for Memphis, which led 24-14 at one point of the first quarter and 26-20 at period's end.

The Grizzlies shot just 41.2 percent for the game.

Memphis, which has won just four of its last 32 games, will try to avoid a seventh 60-loss season in franchise history when it finishes the regular season Wednesday at Oklahoma City.

--Field Level Media