The Wolves took on the Houston Rockets last night in their first game back from the All-Star break. They got out to a slow start, which is typical this season, but forced a close game against the #4 seed in the West. Despite the loss, it was an entertaining matchup that saw lots of notable individual stat lines – Let’s talk.
Anthony Edwards and Jalen Green both go for 35+
Anthony Edwards, who did not participate in the All-Star festivities, was questionable coming into this game against the Rockets. He had been dealing with a right hip soreness, but it didn’t affect him at all tonight. Edwards finished the game with 37 points, including 25 in the first half, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds. He didn’t have great splits (40.6 FG%, 28.6 3P%) but continued his impressive scoring run in which he had been averaging 37 points in his previous five games. It was reported earlier in the week that Edwards did not want to be the face of the league but its hard to say that he won’t be if he continues to put up scoring performances like this. While he had a good scoring game, he did force up a lot of shots, including multiple contested step back threes – to his credit he did knock one down. His shot selection saw him finish 13/32 from the field.
Jalen Green also had a great scoring game. Green finished the night with 35 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Green came up with clutch buckets down the stretch for the Rockets and helped them see this one out. He did so very efficiently as well, shooting 50% from the field and 45.5% from beyond the arc. His buckets were clutch and tuff. He, too, hit a difficult step-back three in this contest. He also had the highest plus-minus of the game with 18. Great night from the young guard.
Foul Trouble for Both Squads and Rockets TOs
Foul trouble was what made this one interesting in the first place but ended up being the dagger for Minnesota. The Rockets came out hot in the first quarter, achieving their highest-scoring total of the season with 48. The Wolves have been a slow-starting team for the majority of the season but started to piece things together when Dillon Brooks had to sit out after he accumulated a few fouls quickly. Love him or hate him, Brooks is a great defender and without him on the court, the Wolves clawed back after being down by as many as 14. Foul trouble also hindered the Timberwolves in this one as Naz Reid sat for an extended period of time in the second half. With Reid off the floor, Coach Chris Finch put out a lineup that consisted of Edwards, Shannon, Alexander-Walker, Conley, and Garza – needless to say they were missing Naz on both sides of the ball. Naz Reid has been performing extraordinarily well in the absence of Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert from the starting line up. Reid had a great impact on both sides, ending his night with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 stocks.
Even when Reid came back in the fourth, Chris Finch opted to put Anthony Edwards on Alperen Şengün, creating mismatches that helped continue Houston’s offensive production. Şengün may have had a decent game if you look at the box score, but he could have had a much better game if he hadn’t missed 5 layups and recorded 8 turnovers. He did not have a great game around the rim for an All-Star. Jabari Smith Jr. also had 5 TOs in his first game since January 1st but, he more than made up for it with his three-point shooting. The Rockets are a much better team with Smith Jr. and it showed.
“They have KD, but we have Jaden McDaniels.”
Jaden McDaniels is a completely different player this season, as his offensive bag and production have seen exponential growth. In the first half of the season, there was talk about how McDaniels wasn’t a very good offensive player – this is no longer the case. He is taking people off the dribble, hitting pull-up jump shots, decelerating in the lane for easy layups, and overall looking like a polished offensive player. We always knew McDaniels was an amazing defender but he has really taken a leap this year on the other side of the ball. This is a huge step in the right direction for his development and it will prove useful come post-season time.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker played decent as well and helped keep the Wolves in the game with his 4 threes on 80% shooting.
Injuries
Minnesota was without 4-time DPOY Rudy Gobert tonight, as injuries continue to be an annoyance. They are still without big-time contributors Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle and while it has been good that the rooks are getting minutes, it is also making these games significantly more difficult. Here’s to hoping that they stay healthy for the rest of the season. The Wolves would be in a much better spot if they had their pieces they recieved from the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.
What’s Next?
The Timberwolves will look to get back to winning ways against the Oklahoma City Thunder back home at the Target Center. They were able to beat them the last time they faced each other but it could be prove to be a challenge with it being the second half of a back-to-back
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Zander Collins