National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Charlotte 89, Minnesota 87
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Officials: #29 Mark Lindsay, #38 Michael Smith, #33 Zach Zarba
Attendance: 13272

Bobcats 89, Timberwolves 87: Kemba Walker had a team-high 22 points and drilled a 19-foot jumper prior to the final buzzer as visiting Charlotte rebounded after squandering a late 14-point lead for its third straight victory.

Ramon Sessions scored 18 points off the bench and Byron Mullens had 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Bobcats (4-3), who secured their fourth victory in their 30th game last season. Charlotte finished with seven wins in the lockout-shortened campaign.

After Walker's 3-pointer gave Charlotte an 85-71 lead with 4:22 left, Andrei Kirilenko scored five of his game-high 26 points during the Timberwolves' spirited 16-2 run to tie the game.

Walker wasn't about to let Minnesota complete the comeback and drilled a stunning 19-footer with 0.7 seconds remaining.

Kirilenko shot 9-of-12 from the field and added 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who struggled mightily from the floor without leading scorer Nikola Pekovic (sprained left ankle).

GAME NOTEBOOK: Charlotte recorded its first three-game winning streak since emerging victorious in four straight from March 25-30, 2011. ... Kirilenko and Luke Ridnour (16 points, 10 assists) combined to go 6-of-8 from the floor for 17 points in the first quarter. The rest of the Timberwolves went 2-for-14. ... In addition to Pekovic, Brandon Roy missed his third straight game with a sore right knee while J.J. Barea sat out his fourth consecutive contest with a left foot sprain.

Top Game Performances
 
Charlotte   Minnesota
Kemba Walker 22 Scoring Andrei Kirilenko 26
Kemba Walker 5 Assists Luke Ridnour 10
Byron Mullens 15 Rebounds Andrei Kirilenko 12
Kemba Walker 3 Free Throws Made Andrei Kirilenko 5
Kemba Walker 4 Steals Luke Ridnour 2
Byron Mullens 4 Blocks Lou Amundson 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Charlotte 89 45.2 4-16 9-14 15 43 12 11 18
Minnesota 87 38.3 5-19 20-37 20 53 11 7 17
Upcoming Games
  • Minnesota will play their next game at home against Golden State. The Timberwolves have a W/L % of .500 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Charlotte will play their next game at home against Memphis. The Bobcats have a W/L % of .667 after a win and .500 after a loss.