The NBA’s top-ranked offense clashed with a defensive juggernaut on Saturday in an epic showdown at Target Center. The two teams, the Cavaliers and Timberwolves, fought to the bitter end in a back-and-forth game that featured a star-studded cast on both sides.
The Cavaliers, who were without Evan Mobley, took some time to get going offensively, opening the game on a 29-32 first quarter in favor of Minnesota. The score was tied going into halftime with neither team capturing full momentum. It wasn’t until the second half that the Cavaliers took control by tightening up their defense to cruise to a victory on the road (124-117).
Donovan Mitchell was on a heater all game and finished the night with an effortless 36 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists on 12-27 shooting. Darius Garland added 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists in 33 minutes while star big man Jarrett Allen contributed 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block on 6-9 shooting.
For the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards tried his best to lead them to a comeback win but his stat line of 28 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists was not enough to avoid the loss. In 38 minutes, Julius Randle finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists on 7-12 shooting. In the frontcourt, Rudy Gobert dropped 17 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes.
No Answer For Cavaliers Backcourt
The Cavaliers are first in the East for a reason, and it starts with their star-studded backcourt. Together, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland have been carrying the Cavaliers this season and they did it again in this game as the two leading scorers.
Donovan Mitchell cooled off in the second half but his 36 points (along with 8 rebounds and 7 assists) put the Cavs in a position to finish off the Timberwolves and his mere presence provided valuable floor spacing for the entire team. He was +10 in the game tonight despite going 4-15 from three.
Young point guard Darius Garland is making a case for his first All-Star selection this year and this latest game should only increase his chances. He had a rough shooting night overall (8-19 FG) but he made enough plays when it counted to give his team the win.
Non-Rudy Minutes Killed The Timberwolves
The Timberwolves tried their best to stay in the game for those last 24 minutes but they didn’t have enough resistance with such a weak rotation at center. Every time that Rudy Gobert was subbed out, the Timberwolves slipped and the Cavs took full advantage.
The problem for Minnesota is their lack of proper depth at the position. As good as veteran big man Naz Reid has been for them, he’s undersized at 6’9″ and often gets outrebounded by taller, more traditional bigs. Tonight, he grabbed just 2 rebounds in 26 minutes.
For the Timberwolves to get back to the upper end of the West standings, they’ll need to fill out their frontcourt with more size so that they can hold it down in the paint when Rudy Gobert sits. Tonight, he was the only one at the position with a positive plus-minus and it reveals the dire state of the Timberwolves’ rotation right now.Â
Cavs Got A Boost From Unlikely SourceÂ
It was the Mitchell and Garland show in Target Center on Saturday but they weren’t the only ones who came ready to play. Off the bench, the Cavs had several players who had stand-out performances which made the difference and won them the game.
Not only did Georges Niang drop 15 points on 5-7 shooting, but he also grabbed 10 rebounds, including three offensive boards to give his team another chance to score. Ty Jerome, who was a team-high +28 in the game, also contributed off the bench with 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 5-7 shooting.
It was a well-balanced effort for the Cavaliers and the team racked up 27 assists as they cruised to a statement win over one of the stronger teams in the West. In the wake of Evan Mobley’s absence, the Cavs needed all the extra help they could get and tonight it’s what powered them to the win.
Even though it was a loss, the results were still somewhat expected for the Timberwolves, who have been mediocre this season with a 22-20 record. It would have taken everything going right to beat this Cavs squad and they just didn’t have enough to keep up.
After the win today, the Cavaliers play the Phoenix Suns on Monday, January 20th, at 3:30 PM EST. They play the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center at 8:00 PM EST before a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on Friday, January 24th.
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