The Minnesota Timberwolves were on a losing skid but all of that changed tonight in OKC. The Timberwolves showed a lot of heart especially knowing they had to play without Rudy Gobert and D’Angelo Russell. Minnesota had to adjust the starting lineup and other players had to step up in their absence. One of those players that showed up tonight was Naz Reid as he was able to showcase his full talent on display. We saw Reid go coast to coast with a euro step and hit a couple 3 pointers. Naz Reid has been able to step right in with confidence and make the best of the minutes given to him with injuries. The way that Reid has played this season shows that he definitely needs some more playing time and was able to put on a show against OKC tonight. Naz Reid finished with 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. Reid was able to punish the OKC Thunder inside the paint and outside with the 3-point game. The Thunder put multiple players on Reid but it didn’t change a thing as he had it going tonight. Reid is a true power forward that can stretch the floor and that helps his teammates get openings for the offense.
The other player that showed up for the Timberwolves tonight was Austin Rivers who finished with 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. Rivers showed that he can knock down his shot still and he can generate offense when given the opportunity. Austin hit a huge 3-pointer late in the game to seal the win but he was able to get a bucket with ease. This was a back-and-forth game with a lot of scoring so this was right down Austin Rivers’s alley. Austin showed a lot of leadership tonight and was able to defend at a high level as he was able to disrupt Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey tonight. Anthony Edwards was close to a triple-double but the young star was all over the place in this game. Edwards showed a lot of growth in this game as he was able to find his teammates while looking for his shot as well. Edwards finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists on the night as he was able to do as he pleased against OKC.
The Thunder lost another close one and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was at the front of their offense again as he was able to get what he wanted against Minnesota. The Timberwolves made it tough on Shai but he was able to still put up 35 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Thunder are going to be a team that everyone will need to watch out for after next season but the future is bright with SGA running things in OKC.
This Timberwolves team has been through ups and downs this season but they have grown to adapt to every situation with lineup changes. This team has stuck together now with Towns, Gobert, and Russell out of the lineup.
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