Preseason: Wolves 122, Pistons 114

Preseason record: 2-5

There just might be a correlation there after the Wolves shared the ball, placed six players in double figures and delivered just enough defensive stops against an opponent that shot nearly 59 percent and still lost.

Two nights after they got clobbered by a Denver team that made the Western Conference finals last spring, the Wolves trailed by 10 points after three minutes and led a remade Pistons team by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter in their second game without Al Jefferson and Kevin Love.

Corey Brewer had 21 points to lead Minnesota (2-5), which had six players in double figures despite the absence of Kevin Love (hand) and Al Jefferson (flu-like symptoms).

“We were prepared tonight – we had to learn how to play without the big guys,” Brewer said. “Tonight, we knew we couldn’t just throw it into Al and get 20, and we weren’t going to get 14 and 14 from Kevin. We all knew we had to step up. People in this league think I can’t score, but anyone who saw me in college knows I can hit shots.”

Ryan Gomes and Oleksiy Pecherov filled in for Love and Jefferson, combining for 39 points and 17 rebounds.

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