In a long NBA season, certain games can speak volumes about who a team is and what the trajectory of their season can be. This was not one of those nights.
On Wednesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves took on the tanking Utah Jazz in a game that more closely resembled a pickup game than a top-tier sports league. While the Wolves were somewhat shorthanded without Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid, the Jazz had a laundry list of players out, including Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George,
Jusuf Nurkić, and Walker Kessler.
The Timberwolves’ offense came out of the gates blazing hot, making 18 of their 26 first-quarter shots to the tune of 43 points and an early 12-point lead.
The Wolves played with fantastic pace throughout the first half, as they generated 26 fast break points with Julius Randle, Ayo Dosunmu, and Bones Hyland pushing the tempo early and often. Many of those fast break points came off of Utah turnovers as the Wolves forced ten first-half turnovers by the Jazz, turning them into 18 points on the other end.
The Wolves carried a 14-point lead into the halftime break and never looked back. By the end of the third quarter, the Timberwolves were up by 26 points, and the end of the benches were on the floor with more than eight minutes left in the game.
Minnesota went on to win by a final score of 147-111, bringing their record to 43-27 on the season as they now sit 3.5 games clear of the seventh seed and the dreaded Play-in Tournament.
Minnesota had five players score in double-digits, including 21 points from Randle, 17 points from Jaden McDaniels, and a flashy 18 points off the bench from Hyland. Rudy Gobert was dominant on both ends of the floor with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and a pair of blocks. Dosunmu led the way for the Wolves with 23 points to go along with nine rebounds and six assists.
The Wolves did what they had to do in this one. They took down a team asking to lose and did so in convincing fashion. Many high-quality NBA seasons have been built on beating down on lesser opponents, which makes wins like tonight necessary.
Not to take away from the Timberwolves’ performance, as they had a solid night on both ends of the floor, but at this point in the NBA calendar, a huge portion of games are determined by who the opposing team puts on the floor and their preference to win the basketball game instead of losing it.
There are still many high-quality basketball games remaining on the schedule. Tonight was not one of those nights.
This story will be updated throughout the night after coach and player media availabilities.
Up Next
The Timberwolves are back at home Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers as Minnesota looks to extend its win streak to three games. The game begins at 7:00 PM CT and airs on the FanDuel Sports Network.
