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.
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.
This one of those special nights when you just knew everything was going to go the Timberwolves way especially getting Karl-Anthony Towns back in the lineup. Karl missed the last 52 games and was ready to come out hitting the ground running with aggression.
The Timberwolves came into this game in New York searching for a victory to bounce back in the Western Conference standings. Minnesota got some good news with Anthony Edwards injury as the swelling in his right ankle has gone down. He’s considered day to day and that’s really good knowing it was a scary sight.
The Knicks and Timberwolves came out on fire as it seemed like no one could miss in this game. One of the players that couldn’t was Minnesota’s Taurean Prince. Tonight was all about Prince as he was able to keep the Timberwolves in the game with his sharpshooting. Prince had a season high 35 points as it looked like any time the Timberwolves needed a big shot they went to Taurean. This is a true testament to the professionalism that Prince has as he was just waiting for his moment and that came tonight.
Prince hit a career high 8 (3 pointers) as the man couldn’t miss tonight. This was a huge boost to the team as Jaden McDaniels went out the game early with 3 fouls. It was Prince, Gobert, and Anderson who kept the team intact when McDaniels went out early. Rudy Gobert was able to set the tone in the paint early and that allowed the other players to get their rhythm. Rudy finished the game with 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. None of the Knicks players were able to contain Gobert and that made it easier for the shooters on Minnesota to take full advantage. The Timberwolves had 7 scorers in double figures and this was a huge win for Minnesota. Mike Conley and Kyle Anderson were huge tonight as well because they were able to get the ball in the players sweet spots. They also have a lot of basketball IQ that was on full display.
The Knicks gave the Timberwolves a fight as Julius Randle made his presence known in this matchup. On the night Randle finished with 57 points as the Timberwolves didn’t mind him scoring it seemed as long as the other players weren’t making shots they could live with Randle. The Timberwolves were having trouble containing Randle but the good thing about it was the fact that defensively they looked good shutting down the second/third options.
The Timberwolves play at home against the ATL Hawks next and will look to stack up some wins to move up in the playoff standings.
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The Timberwolves were in Chicago to match up against the Bulls. Both teams need a win badly for seeding in their conferences and with the Bulls starting to get things clicking with DeRozan/LaVine it was going to be a true test for the Timberwolves. The Bulls were going to have their hands full trying to stop Anthony Edwards as he’s scored over 30+ in the last 4 games coming into this game.
The Timberwolves came out clicking on all cylinders tonight in Chicago as the offense was flowing perfectly. Anthony Edwards was finding his stroke early in this game as he just finished hitting back to back 3 pointers. Then with about 4 minutes left in the 1st quarter, Anthony Edwards went down grabbing his ankle and yelling in pain. It was not a sight that Timberwolves wanted to see as Edwards couldn’t put any weight on the foot at all and had to leave the game. One thing that was made clear is that this team is going to fight even without Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns they still were scrappy in this game.
Jaden McDaniels stepped his game up on both ends as he was able to get into his offensive bag and was clamping down on the defensive end. This was a great sight to see for any Timberwolves fan because if McDaniels can continue to improve on the offensive end teams won’t think they can sag off on him anymore. Jaden showed his range with the 3-point shot tonight and he also was able to get to the rim with ease. On the night Jaden McDaniel’s had a career-high 25 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.
It was a great overall performance as the Bulls couldn’t slow him down with Beverley, LaVine, or Caruso. Once Anthony Edwards left for the locker room the other player that was matching McDaniels energy in the game was the beast Rudy Gobert. It didn’t matter who was in the paint as Rudy Gobert was dominating and playing with the force we want to see from him every night. Gobert was making the Bulls pay inside and let it be known that he was the best big man in Chicago tonight. The only thing that Rudy didn’t do was hit 2 crucial free throws that would give the Timberwolves a lead late but he was on fire. Rudy finished with 21 points and 19 rebounds on the night. A lot needs to be said about the leadership that Mike Conley showed on the court tonight as well because he was hitting big shot after big shot. It was good to see Mike find his groove and he was able to make great decisions against the Bulls tonight. Mike finished with 28 points and looked comfortable out there running the offense with Kyle Anderson alongside him. The Timberwolves had 6 players in double figures tonight but the Bulls just made some bigger plays down the stretch of both overtimes. It simply came down to the fact that Chicago has two players that can get to their spot anytime and create opportunity and Minnesota’s players that can match those that were hurt.
The Bulls had DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine it’s that simple. The Timberwolves were trying to guard them the best they could for 58 minutes tonight as they had to go to double overtime. Jaden McDaniels was playing amazing defense but sometimes you have to tip your hat to better offense and that’s what happened tonight. DeRozan was living at the free-throw line tonight as he got 17 of his 49 points from there. DeRozan was a tough guard and showed that he still has a lot in the tank. Deebo also added 14 rebounds on the night as well. He was putting on a mid-range showcase and it was too much for the Timberwolves to handle down the stretch because once a shooter sees the ball go through the net he builds that confidence up. Zach LaVine started off slow with his offense and when you looked up at the end of the game he still was able to finish with 39 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists on the night. Chicago was making tough shots and putting pressure on the Timberwolves’ defense all night long. Without Anthony Edwards, it was tough to adjust on the fly and the Bulls were able to make the adjustments needed on Rudy to come out with a win in double overtime. It speaks volumes about this Timberwolves team though to continue to fight without their two best players and still make it a game.
The Timberwolves had no information on Anthony Edward’s injury postgame but they will have to get ready to play tomorrow in a back-to-back. It would make sense to say that Anthony Edwards will be out tomorrow as he was seen in a walking boot but you can’t put anything past the All-Star he just wants to hoop.
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The Timberwolves came into this game with the Celtics fresh off a big win in Atlanta and were playing a Celtics team pissed at their loss to the Rockets. Today the Timberwolves fans got some good news heading into the game as the team announced that Karl-Anthony Towns will be back in the coming weeks. The Celtics also got some good news with Robert Williams returning within the next few games. This was a great game as both teams could execute at a high level in this highly anticipated game.
The Celtics and Timberwolves came out swinging and this game started off with some great offense. Throughout the game, it started to get chippy early as Rudy Gobert got a little too aggressive in the paint toward both Derrick White & Jaylen Brown. Rudy Gobert was playing like the beast he is but the Celtics players weren’t phased or backing down from the big man. The game was neck and neck even with the chippiness so it made for some good offensive plays with aggression. Speaking of that aggression Jayson Tatum posterized Rudy Gobert on an And-1 which turned into a flagrant 1 foul. That was the turning point in the game as the Celtics got in Rudy’s face and it got their offense going. The Timberwolves were able to slow down Jayson Tatum as he finished with 22 points 14 of which came from the free-throw line. The Timberwolves were fouling Tatum and his getting to the line with ease kept the Celtics in this game. Jaylen Brown took over the game in the second half especially in the 4th as he scored 15 points in that quarter alone and finished with 35 points. Minnesota did a good job defending tonight but Brown made some tough shots that were contested.
Another reason why the Celtics were able to do so much on the offensive end is that Jaden McDaniels was in foul trouble the whole game. Since the All-Star break, McDaniels has made a huge difference in every game including tonight. With McDaniels in foul trouble, it allowed Brown and Tatum to roam a lot more than Coach Finch wanted them to. McDaniels has got better on the offensive end as well because tonight he was able to hit some big shots. Jaden finished the game with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist. Anthony Edwards played one of his most complete games on both ends of the floor as the Celtics couldn’t do anything with him on the offensive end. The Celtics were doubling Edwards trying to make other players on the Timberwolves beat them and it worked. Anthony Edwards wasn’t able to close the game the way he wanted but he was able to finish with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. The Wolves only had 5 players in double figures tonight and to beat a team like the Celtics you need people to contribute from all over the stat sheet. The Wolves made this game interesting and were able to take Tatum out of the game but let Brown get too comfortable within the flow of the offense. This is a game they could of won but they will put it behind them as they look to bounce back against the Bulls on Friday in Chicago.
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