After a disappointing home loss to the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers, the Minnesota Timberwolves begin their trifecta of matchups during a west coast road trip with the Portland Trail Blazers, who will be without Shaedon Sharpe and first-time all-star Deni Avdija. Minnesota started the break with a home win against the Mavericks, but followed it up with a dreadful battle against the Sixers.
Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid return to the lineup after missing the previous game due to suspension and injury, respectively. The front-court troops were thin on Sunday, and having two key pieces back should help them a lot with the impending matchup. Rudy Gobert will have his hands full with Donovan Clingan, who has been playing extremely well as of late and is a massive presence down low and on the glass. It’s a great opportunity for the Wolves to recollect and start this interesting road trip against very competitive teams with a bang.
The game opened with the arena seeming a little bit hazy, but it did not seem to impact either team as it was a close one throughout, with Minnesota holding a slight edge for the majority of the quarter. The Timberwolves, as they tend to do, had too many turnovers early on, but Ant and Jaden answered the bell to keep the pressure on and maintain the lead.
Kris Murray and Scoot Henderson carried the Blazers’ scoring load early, for a team bereft of scorers with the absence of Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe. Jaden McDaniels stole the show in the first, hitting three 3s and adding an insane four blocks to his stat line. The Timberwolves used Slim’s dominance to hold a 33-27 lead in the first.
Julius Randle began the second quarter off on a sour note, picking up the third foul that forced him out of the game early in the second. A lightning-quick 8-0 run spurred by Donte DiVincenzo helped Minnesota to grow the lead, but Portland was able to slow the game down by drawing fouls and making their free throws to stay within striking distance.
Jaden McDaniels continued to wreak havoc, and Anthony Edwards answered every Blazers bucket with one of their own. Ant was nearly flawless in the first 24 minutes; he shot 8/12 with 25 points, including 4/8 from beyond the arc. Despite shooting well and seemingly having control over much of the second quarter, Minnesota only led 62-59 at the break.
The Trail Blazers came out swinging in the third in what would be a tug-of-war frame with both sides having their moments. Jaden McDaniels continued his awe-inspiring dominance on both ends to help the Wolves take a larger edge a couple of times throughout the third, but Minnesota wasn’t able to keep the momentum going as the Blazers kept fighting their way back in it with offensive rebounds and a boost of Scoot Henderson energy. Donte DiVincenzo ended a lackluster third quarter from the Timberwolves with a bang, ripping the ball away from Scoot Henderson and going in for a slam to give Minnesota the slight 96-94 edge.
Another nail-biter was in store for the Minnesota Timberwolves after allowing the shorthanded Blazers to stay in the game. The fourth quarter was no different, with both teams throwing punches trying to gain the upper hand. For the start of the quarter, the Timberwolves were getting killed on the offensive glass and allowing the Trail Blazers to get extra opportunities.
That’s when Coach Finch turned to Rudy Gobert. Rudy had a dominant fourth quarter, controlling the glass, contesting shots, and most importantly, rebounding Ant’s misses as he went cold down the stretch. Gobert controlled the game and helped the Timberwolves to score points in the clutch when their usual ace in the hole was a bit off line.
We’ve seen these types of performances by Jaden McDaniels in the past – uber-efficient, lockdown defense on the perimeter and at the rim, closed out by his bounce dunk that is nearly patented at this point. This was another chapter in the long book of awe-inspiring McDaniels performances. He scored 29 points on 12/16 shooting, added six rebounds, five blocks, and three steals. Definition of stuffing the stat sheet.
Fans have gotten used to Jaden’s stoic coldness as he wreaks havoc on opponents’ shots and dashes their dreams of coming out with a victory. While we can all appreciate that, it is fun to see a little flair in his emphatic dunk that can and should call attention to a performance that deserves its (Portland) roses.
Rudy Gobert’s Fourth Quarter
Minnesota let the Trail Blazers hang around for a lot longer than they should have. When this happens, the less talented team starts to feel themself. One of the worst ways that this can manifest is by hounding the offensive glass. The best way to make up a talent deficit is to shoot more shots, which usually come easier off an offensive rebound.
As the fourth quarter started, that was exploited – the Trail Blazers were getting multiple shots per possession, and one was bound to find its way into the hoop. That is when Chris Finch turned to Rudy Gobert. Rudy understood the assignment: end possessions. But he had a much larger impact than that. Gobert not only helped keep the massive Donovan Clingan off the boards, while ending Portland’s offensive possessions after one shot, but he also impacted every drive that they had during the stretch.
This led to runouts and an easier time managing Portland’s pressure. Finally, Anthony Edwards went on a cold streak to close this one. When your alpha doesn’t have it, things can get scary. Rudy Gobert took it upon himself to help gut out those offensive possessions.
He attacked the offensive glass and generated extra possessions while also finishing plays himself (including a 2/2 trip to the free throw line). Rudy’s ability to control games in this way is big-time, and a big reason they finished this game with a win.
The Timberwolves will face off against Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers in another late 9 PM CT tipoff on Thursday night. This will be another nationally televised game on Prime Video, but also available on Fanduel Sports Network.