13-17, the deficit was down to just 4 points!
Rose's burst on this end had come at exactly the right time.
This time, it was Thibodeau who raised his hand and called a timeout.
He had likewise sensed that his former pupil was about to erupt and made defensive adjustments in advance.
After the timeout, Towns failed to back Siakam down in the low post, but he turned toward the free-throw line and banked in a sweeping hook.
Towns seemed possessed by Jabbar on that play, helping the Timberwolves stabilize the situation on the court.
The Pelicans brought the ball into the frontcourt, and Rose and Siakam ran another pick and roll.
This time, Rubio directly abandoned Siakam and joined Towns in trapping Rose.
Siakam rolled outward after the screen, gambling that he would not be able to capitalize from beyond the arc.
But unexpectedly, Rose did not choose to pass. He lowered his body, accelerated through the trap, and drove inside.
His driving skills were far inferior to Tang Tian's, but he was quick and decisive enough. He accelerated into the paint and forced Towns into a hand-check foul on a strong finish attempt.
He calmly made both free throws, giving him 9 straight points!
Breen and Miller at the commentary booth had already begun talking about Rose.
The former Rose of the Windy City never lacked discussion whenever he put on a good performance.
Rose's consecutive scoring had allowed the Pelicans to keep the score close, but more importantly, he had produced what Stevens wanted.
With the pressure created by his one-on-one strength, the Pelicans' set play offense opened up again.
At the end of the first quarter, the Pelicans had turned things around after trailing and led the Timberwolves 27-23.
Rose exploded for 13 points and 3