That would have been a nice one to have. For momentum’s sake, for the boost it would have given them in the Western Conference standings, and because they played with enough intensity and purpose to deserve it. Alas, things don’t always shake out the way that would be nice. Minnesota Timberwolves fans, more than anybody, know that fact. This league is full of sharp corners and devilish ghouls hiding behind them. Nothing comes easy and nothing is given.
The game ends 124-118. This was far from a monumental failure. There was nothing about this that screamed loudly about a team who couldn’t find their way. This was, by every measure, an extremely fun game that rocked to and fro several times. This game was full of momentum shifts, big-time shot-making, and individual talents weaving their dark magic. As is the way of the beast, somebody had to fall short. Unfortunately, the Wolves, on the second night of a back-to-back and fighting a cacophonous crowd, ended up on the wrong side of history.
Really, the Wolves had just as many chances and reasons to win this game as their opponents. It’s almost hard to believe that they shot 54.2 percent from the field and didn’t get a win. And it’s been an even rarer occurrence for them to knock down over 40 percent of their long-range jumpers (43.5%) and not walk away victorious. They had more assists, fewer turnovers, more points off turnovers, more points in the paint, and the largest lead of the night when they held a 10-point buffer in the third quarter.
But nothing comes easy and nothing is given.
This season’s Timberwolves know that all too well. Their inability to secure defensive rebounds, their inability to stop a touchy crew’s whistle blowing, and their inability to string good minutes together with any of their bench unit in the game were ultimately their downfall. When you’re playing against a tag-team tornado like Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons, there is just no room for error. The Wolves just couldn’t avoid those errors.
D’Angelo Russell: 8/10
There’s no denying he is in a rhythm now. The sort of rhythm we haven’t seen before in his Wolves tenure. A rhythm that even the smoothest scorers would be envious of. Every field goal attempt is as methodical as a jewel heist. Every dribble surgically administered. Every net ripped and fucking tickled. As a scorer, he feels reborn. A river of effervescence spilling out from every move he makes.
He did give some back in this one, though. Five turnovers are too many (especially compared to just three assists) and a couple of those errant passes came in the fourth quarter when the Wolves would have taken anything other than an errant pass. And, even with an obvious uptick in defensive energy, he still made a couple of baffling rotations late in the proceedings.
Still, even with his warts showing, he is spending long periods keeping this team afloat. That’s more than we ever could have hoped while he was flailing and floundering early in the season.
Finished with 24 points (73.5% TS), 3 assists and 3 steals in 39 minutes — +7.3 net rating.
Anthony Edwards: 9/10
Probably could have done more in the fourth quarter. Definitely could have done more in the fourth quarter. On the other hand, he probably should have some grievances for how he was frozen out of the offense when he was tearing the Blazers to tiny little fucking shreds. Instead of feeding the beast and allowing him to swallow the morsels he was ripping from Portland’s flesh, Minnesota’s role players took it upon themselves to punt possessions away and ultimately jackknife momentum from their surging young phenom.
Edwards was the momentum. The same way he is always the momentum. The three-level scoring mastery that is trimmed with an unfathomable combination of power and polish. His four treys only acted as a sidekick to his straight-line drives, his sumptuous passing, and his ballhawking defensively.
He didn’t quite turn this night into one worthy of being on his greatest hits album — maybe he wasn’t afforded the chance to — but this was still another spectacular night for Minnesota’s spectacular wunderkind.
Finished with 26 points (59.7% TS), 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals in 40 minutes — +0.0 net rating.
Jaden McDaniels: 7/10
Found that defensive special sauce that makes him so fucking delicious. While it’s inevitable that some splash-back is going to happen when you piss into the hurricane, he guarded Damian Lillard with enough length and lateral movement to keep the gaudy guard from living an efficient night. Without a bunch of soft whistles going Lillard’s way, McDaniels and his spectral defensive talents might have really claimed another unsuspecting victim.
However, like his companions, this wasn’t a perfect night. He needs to rebound. He needs to rebound a lot more. It’s not always fair to ask him to be an on-ball attack dog out on the perimeter and also guzzle up boards, but he didn’t even trouble the scorers in that category. Zero. Nada. Zilch. He is too tall, too spindly, too athletic, too fucking important to be laying goose eggs while the team is getting decapitated on the glass. Even with his defensive chops and his budding scoring game, that remains a significant improvement area.
Finished with 9 points (60.5% TS) and 2 assists in 29 minutes — +20.0 net rating.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Howls and Growls to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.