That looked more like the blueprint. Even with some bumps, stumbles and defensive head-scratchers, the Minnesota Timberwolves finally looked like the same dynamic and incendiary bunch on the court as they do on paper. Again, the fun and splendor didn’t radiate through the full 48, but there was enough there. Enough to cling onto and take into the next game. Enough to reinvigorate the fan base. Enough to get a much-needed win in a much-needed way.
The game ends 134-122. From the first tip to the last, there was an air of revenge in the way the Wolves played. A smell of a team who still felt the throbbing in their barely-healed wounds. A look of determination to make things right. They did so. The lapses of concentration and effort still made fleeting appearances, but they were cleaned up and wiped away much quicker this time around.
An electric first quarter is nothing new for this season’s Wolves. Nor is an underwhelming third period. However, the Wolves held their own in the second stanza — going punch for punch with a Spurs team who were throwing some haymakers even without Devin Vassell and Josh Primo — and then ended any chance of a last-quarter fumble with a barrage of highlight plays and crowd-energizers.
Most importantly, Minnesota made significant strides in the areas that have been stuck in the starting gates so far this season. They knocked down a franchise-high 10 trifectas in the opening quarter and kept that vibe pulsating through the whole night, they hustled and fought and, ultimately, won in the transition defense category, and they were just generally sharper and more willing to play for one another. No matter who the opponent or what the situation, having those reps in the tank will do them the world of good.
D’Angelo Russell: 6/10
A juxtaposition of a game for a juxtaposition of a player. Just juxtaposing all over the fucking joint. Some games he is awesome and some games he stinks, in this game he gave us an equal portion of both. For every sweet dime that he cracked open the defense with, he’d serve up an unforced and unbelievable turnover. For every smart cut and silky finish, he’d roll out the defensive red carpet and welcome his man to an open shot.
Weird player.
Finished with 12 points (51% TS), 2 rebounds and 9 assists in 29 minutes — -1.8 net rating.
Anthony Edwards: 10/10
Just bookended this one like a fucking firecracker. Waltzed in and set Target Center alight with a quartet of treys in the first quarter, let the night unfold around his godly aura, then finished off with more sparks. Points aplenty and a few fistfuls of smart reads as a playmaker. He fell in love with the jumper a touch, and his off-ball defense was spotty, but when his overall impact is so unfathomably positive, who cares?
Let him do what he wants. Let him run for president. Let him fistfight a fucking bear. I don’t give a shit what he does, as long as he keeps doing what he does on the court.
Finished with 34 points (74.7% TS), 3 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals in 38 minutes — +16.0 net rating.
Jaden McDaniels: 10/10
It’s hard not to laugh manically when you watch him. Like, cackle like a fucking hyena. He’s such an anomaly. How did he come to be? Such gawky limbs spiking shots away with such vicious intent. Such an awkward gait oscillating between defensive rotations and matchups with such ease. Now, he adds a wholly reinvented offensive game, full of verve and skill. And if he keeps hitting shots like he did in this one the earth might collapse in on itself like a dying star. Is he the fucking apocalypse? Could be, and all you can do is chortle in disbelief.
Finished with 20 points (111.1% TS), 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 blocks in 35 minutes — +0.6 net rating.
Karl-Anthony Towns: 9/10
He is still trying to find his place within a new defensive scheme and a new position entirely, but this game was a small step in the right direction. On the other end of the court, he is really starting to rediscover what makes him special. Shot-making for a big on a scale never seen before. The ability to slice up bulkier defenders off the dribble. A finishing package around the rim that tastes like Momma’s homemade pie.
The real takeaway from this one, though, is that he has fully fucking leveled up as a passer. It’s been a constant all season, but this was the most controlled version we’ve seen thus far. He laser beams passes to cutters from any area on the court, and he has some sort of telepathic connection bubbling with Rudy Gobert already. Just a big fucking Magic Johnson out there, man.
Finished with 21 points (75% TS), 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals in 38 minutes — +6.0 net rating.
Rudy Gobert: 7/10
Will always have his value. Even on nights when the pace of play stretches a little bit farther than his enormous reach, that value is still there. He wasn’t able to impact the game as an interior offensive force or even as a burly rebounding monster. Couldn’t hit a free throw if somebody has a guillotine over his balls and he’d probably be able to catch passes just as well if he was wearing fucking oven mitts.
But when you see how often he U-turns oncoming drivers, how he is constantly barking instructions, and how he crunches bones into dust with screens, you see where that value is. Said it before and will say it again, that gives him such a high baseline as a night-to-night player.
Finished with 10 points (64.4% TS) and 9 rebounds in 35 minutes — +8.9 net rating.
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