Timberwolves 119, Bobcats 92: Nikola Pekovic scored a game-high 26 points and Kevin Love and Kevin Martin added 19 apiece as host Minnesota rolled over Charlotte.
Alexey Shved pitched in 11 points off the bench for the Timberwolves, who improved to 11-7 at home. Love grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for Minnesota, which dominated the glass 54-33.
Anthony Tolliver, who spent two seasons with the Timberwolves, had a team-high 21 points for the Bobcats, who fell to 2-8 in their last 10 games. Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 16 points and Kemba Walker added 15 points and seven assists for Charlotte, which has dropped five of its last six away from home.
Minnesota knocked down five of its first seven attempts from the field to take an early 15-8 lead but only led 29-28 after the opening frame. As Charlotte's reserves entered the game for the first time, the Timberwolves began to put their mark on the game, running the score to 68-48 by halftime and connecting at a 59 percent clip from the field at the break.
The second half was no more favorable for the Bobcats, as Minnesota extended its lead to as many as 31 en route to a 95-70 advantage headed into the fourth. Charlotte got no closer in the final stanza, outscored 24-22 in the final 12 minutes as the Timberwolves coasted down the stretch.
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GAME NOTEBOOK: Minnesota improved to 11-5 against Eastern Conference teams, while Charlotte fell to 3-11 against the West. ... The Bobcats were outscored in the paint 54-40. ... Timberwolves F Luc Mbah a Moute, who missed the last three games nursing a groin injury, returned to the lineup, scoring four points in just over 5 1/2 minutes of action.
