The Portland Trail Blazers Defeated Minnesota (107-105) As Sharpe Led The Way With 27 Points

The Portland Trail Blazers Defeated Minnesota (107-105) As Sharpe Led The Way With 27 Points

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by | Apr 3, 2023 | Featured, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

The Timberwolves came into this game and needed a win badly after dropping one to the Lakers. The Portland Trail Blazers have shut down their starters for the remainder of the season. So with them not playing their starters and the Timberwolves having their starters, it looked like the Wolves had this in the bag with a 19-point spread.

 

Well, the spread was wrong in this one as the Timberwolves had difficulty containing Shaedon Sharpe in this game. Today Sharpe looked sharp on the court and could do no wrong as he made the Timberwolves pay in the paint. Shapre showed a lot of ball-handling skills and showed that he could make some big shots while driving to the basket. The game started neck and neck but the Timberwolves just couldn’t slow down the Portland offense as they were able to make some tough shots. Sharpe led the way for them with 27 points and kept the Trail Blazers in this game all day long with his aggression to the paint and big-shot ability. Sharpe was a handful for the Timberwolves but in that 2nd half, it was Kevin Knox who was making some plays that took this win away from the Timberwolves. Knox hit some shots and was able to attack the basket to either create or make a play for himself. Knox finished the game with 19 points off the bench and made the most of the minutes that Coach Billups gave him. Portland was able to beat the Timberwolves because of the control in the turnovers, points in the paint, and bench points. The Portland Trail Blazers came into this game with nothing to lose and only something to gain as they made some clutch free throws down the stretch to take this one from the Timberwolves at home.

 

 

The Timberwolves ended up beating themselves in this game as they had too many turnovers and they had players in foul trouble. Karl-Anthony Towns wasn’t able to stay on the court with his foul trouble and that hurts when you don’t have a Naz Reid that you can put in to help with the offense. It was good to see Anthony Edwards get back on track after not feeling well he was able to finish the game with 37 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Edwards was special today as he’s always been but he was able to turn it on in that 2nd half when the Trail Blazers already were feeling good and confident. The Timberwolves will look back at this game and realize they had it won if they didn’t turn the basketball over. So you can definitely say they can use this as a mural victory but they need some real victories down the stretch now. Rudy Gobert was dominant in the paint on the offensive end but didn’t get much help today on the defensive end when Portland had him in switches. This Timberwolves team has been playing to their competition all year long and I believe they got caught in the trap again. We know they can beat any team and they can get the jump done so they will need to lock in for the last 3 games. Minnesota can be special they just need to lock in on the defensive end first because the defense helps create the offense and once they get that back anything can happen.

 

The Timberwolves have the Nets, Spurs, and Pelicans left in the season and they’re all must-win games if they want to make the play-in or playoffs.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Apr 3, 2023 No Comments
The Timberwolves Fall Short In Phoenix (107-100) Snapping Their 4 Game Win Streak

The Timberwolves Fall Short In Phoenix (107-100) Snapping Their 4 Game Win Streak

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by | Mar 30, 2023 | Featured, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

The hype and the anticipation for this game grew as sources said that Kevin Durant would return to the lineup tonight. Well, Kevin Durant did just that and gave this Phoenix Suns team a boost before the game even started. On the Timberwolves’ side, they were coming into this game on a 4 game winning streak but also had many players not feeling well. The Wolves players Anthony Edwards and Kyle Anderson toughed it out and were available for tonight’s game.

 

Let’s put this in the clear now that Jaden McDaniels didn’t have his best offensive game tonight. That being said he did an amazing job defending Kevin Durant in that first half. We all know that Durant is one of the best if not the best scorers in the NBA and McDaniels made it tough on him. KD didn’t score his first points of the game until 6:32 left in the 2nd quarter and a lot of it could have been done with his rust from not being on the court for a couple of weeks now. Kevin Durant settled in and when he got it going in that 2/3rd quarter stretch all you can do is tip your cap. Durant was making some tough shots and was able to get some nice And-1 plays in the paint. In just his first game back he finished with 16 points but this Suns team is going to be scary when he’s up to speed. This was a great taste for the Timberwolves who haven’t lost in a week as they prepare for this playoff push. Devin Booker was the key to this Suns win and he was a true problem for the Timberwolves all night long. Booker was aggressive and was able to get to his spots when he had mismatches with ease. Booker was able to get to the free throw line 15 times tonight making 12 of them. Devin Booker is able to create his shot and knows how to create space to get the look he wants at an elite level. Devin Booker finished the game with 29 points and 5 assists as the Timberwolves had no answer down the stretch with the momentum already shifted on some 50/50 plays while the Suns fans were going wild. Chris Paul showcased in that 4th quarter exactly what it means to be a floor general as he was able to connect with DeAndre Ayton for some impressive alley-oop passes and made some timely shots. The Timberwolves did a great job of limiting the Suns in the half-court but got beat in transition something that will improve with time. Phoenix made every right play it seemed in that 2nd half and it will be tough to beat a team like them with 10+ turnovers in a game.

 

 

The Timberwolves had this game right where they wanted but just didn’t make the plays to take it from them in the 4th. The Timberwolves had a lot of chances in the 4th to make some big shots and every one of the shots when they needed it didn’t go down. Sometimes the ball goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t. Tonight the shots didn’t fall for the Timberwolves in the 4th but there were still a lot of bright spots in this game. Jaden McDaniels was in foul trouble but when he was on the floor he made a huge impact on the defensive end and offensive end. Anthony Edwards still had a game-high 31 points as he was playing borderline sick and he showed tonight that he can hang with the best of them shot for shot. Karl-Anthony Towns was amazing in only his 3rd game back he’s been looking like he hasn’t missed a single stop and his shot-making ability has been on full display. Rudy Gobert has been a complete monster on the boards and has been able to really anchor this defense, especially tonight in the paint against the Suns. So this is one of those games where the Timberwolves fans can hold their heads high and be proud of the team even though they didn’t win. The second unit continues to grow and Naz Reid has bloomed into one of the smoothest offensive players I’ve witnessed so they lost tonight but they only dropped to 7th in the west.

 

The Timberwolves have a matchup against the Lakers as D’Angelo Russell will be back in Minnesota for the 1st time since the trade in February. Both teams are fighting for playoff positioning so this should be a high-scoring game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit:  (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

 

Mar 30, 2023 No Comments
Timberwolves Beat The Kings (119-115) To Extend Win Streak To Four

Timberwolves Beat The Kings (119-115) To Extend Win Streak To Four

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by | Mar 27, 2023 | Featured, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

The Minnesota Timberwolves came into this game with the Sacramento Kings looking to get 4 wins in a row. They would be doing so without Karl-Anthony Towns who will be out for injury management. The Kings are full strength and have been battling with the Wolves all season in the games they played.

 

 

In Golden State it was Mike Conley who got the party started for the Timberwolves. Tonight it was Jaden McDaniels who was limited against the Warriors due to foul trouble. Jaden got right to business tonight as he started the game off 6/6 from the field for 13 points. One thing about Jaden is the fact his defense builds his confidence for his offense and it’s definitely showing since the All Star Break. The Kings didn’t know how to contain him tonight and Jaden was able to exploit his mismatch when they switched Fox or Heurter on him throughout the night. Jaden got them started with his points and finished with 20 at the end of the night.

 

This was a collected effort from the Timberwolves as they had 7 players in double figures tonight. When the Wolves play this well balanced it seems as though no one can stop them. The Wolves have gained consistent production from the bench as Naz Reid and Jaylen Nowell combined for 32 points tonight. If they can keep this up the Wolves would be a team no one wants to see. Rudy Gobert has been a beast in the paint as of late and his numbers have spiked since Edwards went down tonight he had 16 points and 16 rebounds. Sabonis had no answer for Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves made it tough for them all night long.

 

Fox finished with 29 points and Sabonis had 24 points/10 rebounds but Minnesota stopped the others from going off. The defense was swarming all night and made it extremely hard on the other guys on the Kings to gain any traction on the offensive end. This is the Minnesota Timberwolves team that we envisioned when Rudy got traded here and it’s paying off big time.

 

The Timberwolves will be heading to Phoenix to take on the Suns in a game that should be EPIC especially with hints of Kevin Durant coming back in the lineup.

 

 

 

Photo Credit: (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Mar 27, 2023 No Comments
The Minnesota Timberwolves Late Defense & Big Shots Defeat Golden State (99-96)

The Minnesota Timberwolves Late Defense & Big Shots Defeat Golden State (99-96)

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by | Mar 26, 2023 | Featured, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

Don’t look now but the Minnesota Timberwolves are on a 3 game-winning streak. They’re now 2-0 with Karl-Anthony Towns back in the lineup after the big-time win in Golden State tonight. Coming into this game a lot of people didn’t give the Timberwolves a chance but they showed that they could play to a high level. This has been the healthiest the Timberwolves have been in a long time and it’s the perfect time with the postseason around the corner.

 

The Timberwolves came out aggressive in this game as Mike Conley set the tone for them early with 4 big 3-pointers. Those shots were huge because they got them into a nice offensive groove and they were able to get set on defense a lot better after made shots. The Timberwolves were able to get Stephen Curry in foul trouble early in this one as he had 2 quick ones in the 1st quarter. Once the Timberwolves were able to get Steph in foul trouble they attacked and were able to get the Warriors into some mismatches. Just like Steph getting into foul trouble tonight wasn’t the night for Jaden McDaniels as he was in foul trouble the whole night too. With McDaniels in foul trouble that gave Kyle Anderson some more opportunities and he made the best of them tonight. This was easily one of the best defensive games we’ve seen from Kyle as he was able to have his hands in the passing lanes all night long. Kyle is known for his playmaking ability but he was able to showcase some defensive intensity in this game as well. Throughout the game, Kyle had some big steals, and his 3 steals in the 4th quarter helped the Timberwolves beat the Warriors tonight. Rudy Gobert was a man among boys in the paint tonight as he was able to bring down 18 rebounds and finished with 10 points. This is what the Wolves fans have been missing because now Rudy can worry about defending the paint and grabbing boards while KAT gets the chance to help defensively while scoring.

 

 

Speaking of Karl-Anthony Towns he made a couple of big 3-pointers in this game when the Timberwolves needed it and none bigger than the one he hit after Anderson’s steal in transition. It’s safe to say that KAT is made for these moments and he embraces being the man when the lights are at their brightest. It was Anthony Edwards first game coming back after his ankle injury and you can tell his game was off a little as he wasn’t as aggressive as he usually was tonight. Even with Edwards and McDaniels having off nights the Wolves still got the win and Naz Reid had a lot to do with that. It seemed as though Naz Reid can do no wrong as he was able to hit some big 3 pointers and he was able to cause havoc in the paint the Warriors had no answer for him with Rudy or KAT on the court as well. Naz finished with 23 points in only 20 minutes tonight. Karl-Anthony said it last game that the Wolves need to find a way to keep Naz in the rotation and it looks as though they have found that way. The Team is playing with a lot of confidence and they will be playing the Sacramento Kings tomorrow coming off a back-to-back.

 

The only person that really had it going for the Warriors tonight was Jordan Poole as he finished with 27 points tonight. The Timberwolves’ perimeter defense was all over the Warriors tonight and made it tough on all the shooters. This was a huge win as they were able to limit the Splash Brothers and they made it clear that they were only going to allow them a chance to get buckets in the paint, not the 3-point line. The Wolves took advantage of some bad passes and made the best of the chances they had to attack at the rim as they played a complete game in Golden State to come out victorious.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Mar 26, 2023 No Comments