After an ugly loss to the Brooklyn Nets where the Minnesota Timberwolves lacked energy for much of the game and dropped one to a team that has been playing well in the month of December. This marked their second straight loss after the thriller late on Christmas Day. This game kicks off a four-game road trip that will end 2025 and begin 2026. Minnesota looks to close the year strong against a Midwest foe, as they only have two games remaining before the calendar flips to 2026.
It was a horrifically ugly offensive start on both sides as each squad struggled to work into a rhythm early on in the game. Naz Reid helped buoy the Timberwolves’ offense early on, doing his usual things inside and out to give a boost off the bench. Bones Hyland followed suit in the second quarter with a second jolt to the Timberwolves’ system after another lackadaisical start. Naz finished the half with 10 points while Bones added seven of his own. Anthony Edwards seemed pissed off from a pedestrian start when he came back in as he sparked a massive run to close the second quarter and give the Timberwolves a 55-50 lead heading into halftime.
The second half started evenly before the Timberwolves started rolling the snowball down the hill. It picked up steam through Ant’s dominant mid-range game en route to a 40-point quarter. This broke open a 17-point Minnesota lead going into the final frame. Naz Reid kept pouring in the buckets, and the Bulls folded quickly. This one was wrapped fairly early in the quarter, and the bench brigade closed it down for a 136-101 victory.
Bench Jolt
Bench scoring has been a hot-button topic for much of the season, as outside of Naz Reid the Timberwolves have struggled to get output from the reserves, especially in the scoring department. Bones Hyland and Naz Reid answered the bell in Chicago. Bones provided 12 points off the bench and gave a jolt in the second quarter when the Wolves went on their big run. Save the best for last, right?
Naz. Reid.
Naz came in and got buckets from the second he checked in. He scored 33 points (one shy of his career-high) while shooting 11/18 from the floor and 6/10 from three. He added seven rebounds to the full stat sheet and took over the game from the bench. It’s always a blast to watch Big Jelly fill it up.
Big Man Dimes
Julius Randle was setting up his teammates all night long. He finished with a team-high 14 assists and created seven 3-pointers with those passes, according to the broadcast. When Randle is being a facilitator, it usually means good things for the Wolves’ offense. He was finding the perfect time to give it up to set up his teammates for easy looks. This Randle is important to tap into, as after a hot start to the year on offense and shooting the ball, he has come back down to earth. This is a way for him to be consistently impactful on a nightly basis – even when his shot isn’t falling.
Anthony Edwards Bringing It
Anthony Edwards caused a ruckus on Timberwolves social media after the meltdown loss to the Brooklyn Nets when discussing the team’s lack of energy for much of that matchup. While this game started out with much of the same, with Ant being passive and not asserting himself into the game, that all changed in the 2nd quarter. The Timberwolves were trailing by a few possessions consistently throughout the 2nd, until Ant decided it was his time to take the game over.
He dazzled with an array of moves and got his team on a run and a lead heading into halftime. He then calmly helped push the lead with some of his best mid-range moves of the season. Whether it was tactical or not, Tre Jones often found himself on Anthony Edwards – big mistake. He took it to him in the post and showed off his bump and fade game to lift the Wolves’ lead to nearly 20. A great energy game from Ant.
Up Next
The Timberwolves head to Atlanta for a NAW reunion for a New Year’s Eve matinee against the Atlanta Hawks. You can catch the game on Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 PM CT on FanDuel Sports Network.
