Last night, the Minnesota Timberwolves took a trip to the Delta Center, looking to keep their four-game winning streak alive. They were able to do so in what was their best scoring game of the season thus far.

This win against the Jazz brings their winning streak up to 5 – something they haven’t been able to accomplish all season. The streak includes big wins over conference teams like Denver and Dallas, whom the Timberwolves will be fighting with to earn a playoff spot.

There is no doubt that this season has been a difficult one for the Wolves, but performances like this show how talented this roster is. There were a lot of positives for the Wolves last night – let’s take a look.

Anthony Edwards continues to shine

Anthony Edwards continues to prove why many think he will be the face of the league in years to come as he led all scorers last night with 36 points. It was a great night for Edwards for other reasons too as he was named to his third consecutive All-Star team. Perhaps his recent form is motivated by being snubbed from being a starter out west. In the week since the West All-Star Starters were announced, Edwards has been averaging 31.5 points-per-game.

We’ve seen a different version of the young star this season as he has become one of the best three-point shooters in the league, leading the league in three-point field goals. Edwards shot 66.7% from both the field and from behind the arc against Utah.

Edwards’ energetic shot-making ability and playmaking saw the Wolves put up the most points they have all season. There have been questions about Anthony Edwards’ ability to facilitate games as he has often turned the ball over when facing double teams, but this was not the case. Edwards finished the game with an usual 11 assists as he brought the ball up the court much more in the absence of Mike Conley and Donte DiVincenzo.

Edwards had a stellar game that highlights the improvements he’s made this season, not only as a scorer but as a playmaker too.

Chris Finch finally gives minutes to young players

Head Coach Chris Finch has received a lot of backlash from Wolves fans this season due to his short, 8-man rotation. Many fans believe that he is not giving enough chances for young players like Rob Dillingham to shine. That was not the case tonight. Injuries to key players like Julius Randle in the second quarter and guards Mike Conley and Donte DiVincenzo saw lots of opportunities for the young Wolves.

While Anthony Edwards stole the show with his big night, Rob Dillingham and Jaylen Clark’s performances shouldn’t go unnoticed. Jaylen Clark built upon his amazing defensive performance against the Suns two nights ago as he registered his first career three-pointer and showed flashes that he could be an important piece for the Wolves if they are to make another deep playoff run.

Dillingham had another very efficient night last night, where he recorded a career-high in points and assists with 19 and 8. The number 8 overall draft pick from last year is finally getting the chance he deserves, and Wolves fans are loving it. Rob is already becoming a fan favorite in Minnesota. He’s only going to get better as he gets more minutes under his belt.

Another player given an opportunity last night was former Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year, Luka Garza. He was able to record 16 points in just 14 minutes, shooting 100% from three and 75% from the floor. Garza has been patiently awaiting minutes and he didn’t let the opportunity pass him by.

Is the offense starting to look good?

It is no secret that the Timberwolves are a great defensive team. The question this season has been whether or not they could figure things out offensively, especially without Karl-Anthony Towns. Last night, that didn’t look like an issue.

The first quarter looked concerning when the Jazz started hot and quickly built a 10-point lead. Too many times this season, the Timberwolves have started slow and had to use the rest of the game to claw back. That did not discourage them though. They quickly came back and maintained the lead for the rest of the game.

The Wolves had 6 players with double figures and saw the lead multiply as the game went on. Contributions from former Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Nickeil Alexander-Walker saw them take home a 25-point victory in the first homecoming of the season.

Naz Reid’s back-to-back 6th Man of the Year campaign was strengthened by his performance, where he finished with 12 points on 4 threes.

While the Jazz remain one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA, it was still good to see the Wolves put up lots of points because that is not a guarantee this season. For reference, the Jazz have not come back from a double-digit deficit all season…

What’s next for the Wolves?

This game was huge for the Wolves confidence. Young guys were getting in a groove, they scored the most points they have had all season, and they won after being down big in the first quarter. The only disappointment from the game was that Joe Ingles passed up an opportunity to score on his return to Utah.

The Wolves look to extend their now 5-game winning streak as they return home for a game against the Washington Wizards on Saturday.

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Zander Collins