MINNEAPOLIS -- The Sixers’ road losing streak has to end at some point.
Entering Wednesday, it had been 32 days since the Sixers won a game away from the Wells Fargo Center. Now it will be at least 34 days before they get another chance to snap the skid.
The Sixers allowed a huge lead to get away from them in a 106-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. The Sixers led by as many as 19 points in the game and 13 at halftime.
The loss dropped the Sixers’ overall record to 7-16 and just 1-9 on the road.
The Sixers can pinpoint to two categories where the game got away from them -- turnovers and the free throw line. The Sixers committed 26 turnovers to the Timberwolves’ 13, while they also made 12 free throws compared to the Minnesota’s 25.
Michael Carter-Williams missed his fourth straight game with a sore right knee. He is listed as day to day.
NBA
Turning point
With 8:27 to play in the game, Robbie Hummel hit a corner three to give the Timberwolves their first lead of the night at 87-86.
The Timberwolves built a five-point lead with a 13-3 run in four and a half minutes to start the fourth quarter and went on to secure the win.
Follow the leader
Kevin Love played as advertised. The NBA’s sixth-leading scorer and top rebounder finished the game with 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists.
Ricky Rubio was more of a scorer and less of a facilitator against the Sixers with 21 points and seven assists. Center Nikola Petrovic had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
The Sixers veteran three came with their “A” game at the offensive end. In the first half, Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young and Spencer Hawes shot a combined 16 of 27 for 36 of the Sixers’ 61 points.
Hawes finished with 20 points, while Young added 16.
Turner shot just 6 of 16 for the game and finished with 13 points. He also had nine of the Sixers’ turnovers.
Stat-egic
The Sixers made 17 of 22 first-quarter field goal attempts (77.2 percent) and led, 39-20. Fifteen of their points came on the fast break.
Turner made 5 of 6 from the field for a 10-point first quarter, and defensively the Sixers held Minnesota to 30.8 shooting.
That stellar combination of offense and defense in the first quarter was one of the Sixers’ best starts to a game this season.
Take a bow
James Anderson earned the Sixers’ starting two-guard spot with his preseason play. He stayed in that role for 17 games before head coach Brett Brown made a switch and replaced Anderson with Hollis Thompson.
Coming into Wednesday, Anderson was shooting 19 percent from behind the arc over his last nine games, compared to 39 percent in his first 13 outings.
Anderson was 2 of 3 from long distance against the Timberwolves. He finished the game with 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
What’s next?
The Sixers play the Raptors in Toronto Friday in the second of four meeting between the two teams this season.
The Raptors beat the Sixers, 108-98, at the Wells Fargo Center on Nov. 20. The Sixers were without Young in that game while he was away from the team for personal reasons. Hawes picked up the slack by scoring 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
The Raptors were led in scoring by DeMar DeRozan, who scored 33 points.