NBA Summer League 2016 Championship: Early Preview for Timberwolves vs. Bulls

The NBA’s summer slate will come to an end on Monday with the Minnesota Timberwolves looking to cap off their Cinderella run with a championship against the Chicago Bulls.

The Timberwolves were the No. 24 seed when the tournament started but have reeled off four straight victories behind a talented young group led by Tyus Jones and Devin Thomas that has brought a sense of optimism back to Minnesota basketball.

The Bulls are a clear Goliath in this title matchup against Minnesota. They have been perfect throughout the summer league, going 6-0 with half of their victories coming by at least nine points. Bobby Portis has led their balanced offensive attack, which features five players averaging double figures in scoring.

NBA Summer League Record

Preview

Don’t be fooled by Minnesota’s defensive stats. That points-per-game total is blown up thanks to the team’s 0-3 start to the summer league, highlighted by a 99-68 defeat against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Timberwolves have won the four games since that debacle by a combined 25 points. They have been great in close battles, knocking off Toronto 81-79 in the quarterfinals thanks to two Jones free throws with 0.4 seconds remaining.

Jones has been a revelation this summer, scoring over 20 points in each of the last three games and averaging 6.3 assists per game.

After Jones scored 29 points and dished out six assists in semifinals against the Phoenix Suns, ESPN’s Myron Medcalf offered this summation on Twitter:

Tyus Jones story in 140 characters: People assume he’s too [insert perceived weakness here], and then he rises, …

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