In a hard-fought cross-Conference showdown on Thursday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away with an important road win over the Chicago Bulls (135-119). While it was far from the cleanest performance for Edwards and company, a late-game run in the fourth quarter was more than enough to seal the deal and give the Timberwolves their fifth win of the season.
Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists on 56.5% shooting and he was the hero down the stretch of the game with 13 fourth-quarter points on 5-5 shooting from the field. Timberwolves newbie Julius Randle was the team’s second-leading scorer with 22 points (8-15 FG), 10 rebounds, and 3 assists in 35:31 minutes of play. Rudy Gobert contributed 21 points and 9 rebounds on 9-11 shooting.
On the other side, while the Bulls were able to put up a good fight they just don’t have enough juice without DeMar DeRozan to keep up with the competition. Nikola Vucevic led the team in scoring with 25 points and 5 rebounds at center but he was also -17 in 30:26 minutes on the court. Coby White was also flourishing offensively with 24 points and 8 assists on 9-15 shooting from the field. Ayo Dasunmu dropped 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists on 5-11 shooting.
Even for two teams on opposite ends of the competitive spectrum, the game was still a toss-up until the very end. The Bulls, despite their recent losses, are playing with a sense of purpose that demands to be taken seriously. But for the Timberwolves, after the season they had, everyone is ready to give them their best shot and that’s what we saw from a Bulls team who wanted to send a message. Fortunately, they answered the call and passed their first test with flying colors.
Timberwolves Dominated The Paint
The Bulls’ weak interior defense was well-known before the game and the Timberwolves made sure to take full advantage in their first matchup this season. From start to finish, the Timberwolves sounded the paint and utilized their size and strength to get clean looks around the rim. By the end of the fourth quarter, the Wolves scored a total of 62 points in the paint.
Whether it was a lucky hot streak or just a part of the game plan, the Timberwolves were scoring points in bunches down the stretch and helped each of their five starters finish with at least 14 points or more.
With Rudy Gobert guarding the basket defensively and guys like Julius Randle, Anthony Edwards, and Naz Reid constantly looking to attack the rim it makes sense that the Wolves are a beast in the paint — and tonight showed how dangerous they can be when the frontcourt is clicking and all on the same page
45-Point Fourth Quarter
The Timberwolves were actually playing catchup for most of the game, quietly lurking behind waiting to make a run. The run finally happened in the fourth quarter when the Timberwolves scored a season-high 45 points in the final frame to increase their lead by 16 points.
It was the highest-scoring quarter in the NBA by any team this season and it was sparked by Anthony Edwards who willed his team to the lead with 33 points on 5-9 shooting from three. His confidence and execution gave the Wolves a major boost in the final minutes that forced momentum their way and put additional pressure on the Bulls.
Rudy Gobert also tightened up the defense which forced the Bulls to take harder, ill-advised shots. In short, the fourth quarter Wolves looked a lot more like the team that went to the West Finals back in May than the team they’ve been so far in this season. Now if they can just sustain that level of play for the rest of the season, it will go a long way toward getting them to the next level of NBA contention.
Best Game Of The Season From The Star Duo
The NBA is a star-driven league and the Timberwolves know this better than anyone with Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and now Julius Randle. Tonight they were purely unstoppable for the Bulls specifically in the fourth quarter when they took over on both ends of the floor. It was arguably their best game yet as a duo.
Edwards, 23, had full control of the offense and he was playing within the flow of the game even as the final buzzer began to approach. He got to his spots easily and went up with no hesitation when given even the slightest space.
Gobert, despite widespread criticism from haters, has frequently made his importance clear to the Timberwolves and he did so again tonight. He’s the anchor to their defense and his partnership with Edwards will slowly develop more with each passing game.
This season, at 5-3, the Timberwolves are quickly rising the ranks and this latest win may be the one that begins a dominant streak for the franchise. For now, they are still just trying to fix the mistakes and build the habits of a veteran championship team.
Up next, the Timberwolves will return home in a back-to-back for a battle against the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center at 9 PM EST. They play the Heat on November 10th before another game against the Blazers, at Moda Center, on November 12th.
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