Martin is clutch but late free throws by Chicago sink Wolves

The Timberwolves toppled off that high wire they will tread all season Saturday night at Target Center, the one that divides aiming to win as many games as possible from providing their youngsters with a major league education.

Their 106-105 loss to the Chicago Bulls with two-tenths of a second remaining was such a lesson, one in which they learned the importance of consistent effort and the value of a single possession.

The Wolves exited a sold-out Saturday night mere fractions of a second away from walking out winners with a 2-1 record on their way to a 19-day gap before they play at their home arena again.

Kevin Martin made his first start of the season on a healing twisted ankle and scored 33 points, including what would have been the game-winning three with 2.9 seconds left, had not Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler coerced Wolves rookie Andrew Wiggins into committing a foul just before time expired. Making his season debut, Butler made two free throws with those two-tenths of a second remaining.

Ricky Rubio celebrated his $55 million contract payday with a 17-assist game that tied a Wolves franchise record held by six men, including himself and assistant coach Sidney Lowe. But he watched the game's final 73 seconds after he fouled out for a home team that also was missing leading scorer Thad Young, who missed the second half because of a neck strain after he was elbowed in the head.

"It really hurt, it really hurt losing that way," Rubio said afterward. "Those opportunities don't come every night. The one tonight, it hurts a lot because we're going to remember this one in the future … I mean, assists doesn't count with wins. I don't care about that. Of course, it's nice to see my teammates making shot and I'm going to look for them, but all I want to do is win."

After trailing by 16 late in the first half, the Wolves rode Martin's scoring and the energy of No. 1 overall picks Wiggins and Anthony Bennett (playing in Young's place) back in the second half, finally catching a Bulls team playing without injured star Derrick Rose in the fourth quarter. Five times, they took a lead in the final 3:11, including Martin's final three that sent the crowd into delirium three seconds too soon.

After a timeout, Butler stumbled on an attempt to create a shot but regained both his balance and control of the basket just in time to force Wiggins into the air. As Wiggins landed, Butler went up, drawing the foul that created the winning free throws while Wolves coach Flip Saunders pleaded to the officials for a traveling violation.

"For sure, I could have changed the outcome of the game," Wiggins said. "I don't know what I was thinking. It was a good play by a veteran player and a learning experience for me."

And the lesson learned? "I think the obvious answer would be to stay down," Wiggins said.

Wiggins' nearly seven minutes played down the stretch were the first fourth-quarter minutes of his career, but both Martin and Rubio claimed the Wolves lost the game with their first-half performance, not with Wiggins' final foul.

"It had nothing to do with that last play," Martin said. "We've got to come in here and have better effort, so we're not trying to climb uphill."

To hear Saunders tell it, Saturday's loss had everything to do with a team that has to learn to be tougher, so it can withstand the losses of Young for a half and Rubio for the final 73 seconds, so it earns officials' respect without having to plead for a foul called or traveling violations.

"If you're known as a soft team, sometimes you don't get the benefit of the doubt," Saunders said. "That's the way it goes. I'm not saying they call it, but as you become a tougher team. That's what happens. I was in Detroit for three years and we beat the hell out of everyone. Three years in a row led the league in fewest fouls and we fouled more than anyone in the league. It's something we've got to go through, the process of learning."