We’re back!
After more than a full week off for the All-Star Break that saw Anthony Edwards win All-Star Game MVP, the Minnesota Timberwolves were back in action Friday night at Target Center against the Cooper Flagg-less Dallas Mavericks.
The Wolves got whatever they wanted offensively in the first half, consistently generating open looks through great ball movement, knocking down 11 3-pointers en route to a 69-point half and a lead as high as 18 points. Anthony Edwards scored 20 of those 69 points, including 17 in the second quarter alone.
Naz Reid had the highlight play as he slammed one home over Daniel Gafford, as Bones Hyland’s jaw nearly hit the floor in amazement.
“It was crazy,” Naz said about the dunk after the game. “I mean, the excitement that it brought, that’s the energy two years ago, a year ago. So just kind of getting back to that, and kind of getting the crowd into the games, that’s kind of something we need, especially going into this run and obviously going into the playoffs. So just making things electrifying for the fans, and while being still within myself, I think just stuff like that is huge.”
To start the second half, the ball movement completely dried up, and as they have done many times before, the Wolves gave back the 18-point lead, allowing the Mavs to go on a 24-8 run to cut the lead all the way down to two midway through the third quarter.
The Wolves pushed the lead back up to ten late in the third quarter, but eventually found themselves tied after a flurry of tough makes from Klay Thompson. With less than seven minutes left, the Wolves were in a nailbiter with the tanking Mavericks, needing to put together a quality stretch of basketball to avoid yet another disastrous home loss.
From that point in the game forward, Ant took over. Across the final 6:37 of the game, Edwards was in complete control of the game. He scored 14 points down the stretch, including numerous times when he got to his spot in the midrange and rose over his defender for two points and a dagger 3-pointer that gave him 40 points for the game.
“I think Finchy is a big part of my success,” Edwards said, pointing to his head coach, Chris Finch, as to why he’s been so successful in the clutch this season. “the last couple years he was telling me I need a go-to shot, I need spots I can get to where I’m comfortable, so I’ve got to work on that instead of trying to work on all these moves to get to a shot. Work on getting to this spot and rising up over whoever it is. He’s been preaching that to me for the last two years, so he’s a big part of that.”
The Wolves won by a final score of 122-111. The margin was much closer than it needed to be, but ultimately the Wolves came away with a necessary win to open up their post-All-Star schedule. Along with Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid carried the Wolves in this game.
Gobert dominated the paint on both ends of the floor as he finished with 22 points and 17 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive end of the floor. Unfortunately, Gobert did pick up a flagrant foul in the second quarter, which, unless rescinded, will result in a one-game suspension.
“It’s up to him to manage it,” Finch said after the game about Gobert’s flagrant foul issue. “I thought that call was a bit harsh. It looked like two guys tying up and sometimes that happens. Seemingly every time Rudy gets clocked in the head and the face, which is quite a bit, it’s always just, ‘ah, that’s just two guys, play on. It’s nothing.’ But yet the other way around, we seem to be penalized for it. I thought it was harsh. I can see getting a technical there, maybe. A flagrant? I didn’t see a flagrant there or the unnecessary part of it.”
Gobert had similar feelings about the call after the game, saying, “You know what? The thing with that is that I get hit in the head almost every game, and I never get flagrants. But when sometimes inadvertently I hit somebody in the head, they never miss. They’re always very hard on me with that, especially when it’s not intentional.”
Gobert and the Wolves do plan to submit the play to the league office in hopes that it will be downgraded to a common foul or a technical foul.
Reid led the Wolves off the bench with 21 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while knocking down four 3-pointers while playing the final 19:55 of the game as Minnesota desperately needed his scoring punch and rebounding to close out the game.
Up Next
The Timberwolves are back in action on Sunday at 6:00 PM CT, taking on the Philadelphia 76ers for the first time this season. Joel Embiid is already listed out for the 76ers’ game on Saturday, so status for Sunday’s game against the Wolves is up in the air. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network.