The Minnesota Timberwolves are fresh off beating the Denver Nuggets on Monday. Next, they had the Portland Trail Blazers as the Timberwolves tried to slow down Damian Lillard. The Timberwolves got D’Angelo Russell back in the lineup after missing the game with an illness.
We saw one of the best jobs done on Damian Lillard tonight in a long time. Yes, Dame still got his numbers but the Timberwolves made him work for every basket and even though they fouled a lot tonight he wasn’t able to find a rhythm in the game really. One person that did find his rhythm early in this game was Jerami Grant as he was able to start the game with 20 points before halftime but then left the game with a thigh contusion to come back later. I don’t know if the injury had an impact on how he felt because he finished with only 6 points in the second half but he was going off. Usually, it’s Dame Time for Portland but it was nice to see Lillard/Simons were able to get that help. Lillard was slow to start out but started getting to the free throw line in the second half which got his offense going. Damian Lillard was able to finish the game with 27 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds tonight.
The Timberwolves on the other hand were led by Anthony Edwards who has been sensational all season long. Edwards has been the one consistent Timberwolves player who you can count on with anything it feels like. Tonight he was able to put the Timberwolves on his back with ease. It didn’t matter if Anthony Edwards was being double-teamed or not he still made the right basketball play. The growth in Anthony Edward’s game has been on full display because he can get his teammates involved while still trying to attack the defense. Edward’s finished the game with 32 points, 3 assists, and 7 rebounds.
One of the things that stands out the most is that Anthony Edwards has been running the plays down the stretch and making tough decisions. Anthony has been able to make the right basketball play night in and night out and that showed against Portland. Rudy Gobert was able to add 17 points and 12 rebounds on the night. Gobert has been dominant in the painted area but he can be more vicious in the paint with dunks/putbacks. Once this whole team gets together injury free it will be a scary sight. A good sight to see was Taurean Prince as he came right in and looked like he didn’t miss a beat. The Timberwolves have a special treat with a special talent they just have to put it all together.
The Timberwolves play against the Clippers on Friday as they go through the gauntlet of playoff teams during this stretch run.
Photo Credit: (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
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