The Timberwolves finally routed an opponent Monday at Target Center, and had fun doing it.

What a relief that must be for all involved.

After a four-game losing streak a week ago that led to frank internal conversations, Minnesota has now won two straight. But Monday’s 109-80 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers was far more resounding and repeatable.

The defense was as stingy as it was in Friday’s victory over the L.A. Clippers, but the offense was significantly more fluid. Minnesota moved the ball and generated consistent good looks because of it. In the second quarter in which the Wolves pulled away from the Lakers — who also played the night prior in Utah — Minnesota scored 34 points in a frame in which it assisted on 10 of its 12 buckets.

For the game, the Wolves compiled 31 assists while shooting 51 from the field and 43 from deep.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Wolves guard Donte DiVincenzo said in his on-court, television interview. “It starts on the defensive end, carries over to the offensive end, playing the right way. It’s a fun way to play.”

The team production all came in a contest where Anthony Edwards scored just eight points, marking the first time this season he scored fewer than 20 points. The reserves more than picked up the slack.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid were all brilliant, injecting pace and flow into the offense. All three scored in double figures while hitting multiple triples. DiVincenzo also had nine assists.

The offensive performance paired nicely with Minnesota’s second consecutive defensive showing that slightly resembled the Wolves from a year ago. Nothing the Lakers got came easy. Los Angeles shot 41 from the field. Anthony Davis and LeBron James shot a combined 8 for 30.

They subbed out midway through the fourth, an option also afforded to the Wolves, which was a welcome reprieve for a team that had gone down to the wire in each of its previous seven contests.

“Just a step in the right direction, staying together,” DiVincenzo said. “Not worrying about anything about us.”