Game Preview #61 – Timberwolves at Jazz

After that sham of a game in Los Angeles, the Anthony Edwards-less Wolves will face off against the Jazz on the second night of a back-to-back. Can the Wolves dig deep and get a winning streak going as their schedule eases up?

Minnesota Timberwolves at Utah Jazz
Date: February 28th, 2025
Time: 8:30 PM CST
Location: Delta Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network North
Radio Coverage: Wolves App/iHeart Radio

Timberwolves vs. The Refs: A Rigged Show in Hollywood, Now On to Utah

Well, that was a disgrace.

The Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers game wasn’t basketball—it was an NBA-sponsored PR campaign for the league’s two favorite stars. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I was watching a documentary on the NBA’s referee corruption, except this one was happening in real-time, with Anthony Edwards getting ejected for breathing too hard and the Lakers being escorted to the free-throw line like they were on a guided tour of the Staples Center.

We’ve seen bad officiating before. We’ve seen phantom fouls, missed calls, and lopsided officiating in favor of big-market teams. But last night?

That was next-level WWE-esque rigging, and the league didn’t even bother hiding it.

• The Lakers attempted 20 more free throws than the Wolves.
• Anthony Edwards got ejected on two weak technicals.
• Austin Reaves somehow got three free throws on a ghost foul.
• The NBA’s officials spent more time calling fouls for LeBron and Luka than actually watching the game.

And despite ALL OF THAT, despite playing without Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and having Anthony Edwards thrown out shortly after halftime, the Wolves still made it a game.

That’s what stings the most.

Minnesota fought through every ridiculous call, every absurd whistle, and every momentum-swinging free throw—and still had a chance heading into the fourth quarter before the inevitable happened. In the end, the Lakers got bailed out by a barrage of hail mary threes and phantom whistles.

Now, the Wolves not only have to move on from this travesty of a game, but they’ll have to do so without Anthony Edwards, who has now been suspended for reaching the NBA’s arbitrary 16-technical foul limit.

Let’s Talk About the Anthony Edwards “Suspension”

Here’s the stat of the night: Anthony Edwards is the earliest player to hit 16 technicals in a season since DeMarcus Cousins in 2017.

Let’s process that for a second.

Anthony Edwards.

A guy who shows up every night, plays hard, is a great teammate, and quickly should become the new face of the league.

Somehow, the league decided that he’s the biggest technical foul problem in the NBA.

It’s honestly criminal when you watch the way Luka Donic and Draymond are allowed to curse and scream at officials like they’re a New York stockbroker who just lost a million dollars on crypto.

They argue every single call and get away with it every single time.

But Edwards? He talks a little trash, makes a face, maybe throws up his arms—and he’s tossed out of the game and suspended for a critical matchup in Utah.

If this doesn’t scream big-market bias, I don’t know what does.

The NBA should be celebrating Anthony Edwards, not trying to sabotage him.

What’s Next? The Utah Jazz & A Must-Win Situation

Now the Wolves have to turn the page and somehow win in Utah.

Not exactly an easy task on the second night of a back-to-back, missing their best player.

The Jazz are tanking, but they still have guys who can put up numbers. This is the type of game where you either break their will early or you find yourself in a 48-minute dogfight that you really don’t want to be in.

This game is about survival.

The Wolves have zero margin for error.

The schedule is finally tilting in their favor, but only if they take care of business.

Keys to the Game

1. Defensive Intensity Has to Be There From the Start

The Wolves need to come out swinging. No slow start, no lazy defense—this game needs to be won on hustle and grit.

Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaylen Clark, and Terrence Shannon Jr. need to make life miserable for Utah’s wings.

They swarmed the Lakers last night and need to do the same against the Jazz—no open shots, no easy drives, just pure defensive effort for 48 minutes.

2. Naz Reid Needs to Show Up

Naz was brutal against the Lakers.

There’s no way around it—he couldn’t buy a bucket, his defense was questionable at best, and he didn’t provide the spark the Wolves needed.

That can’t happen again.

With no possible Gobert, no Randle, and definitely no Edwards, Naz needs to be the best player on the floor and give Minnesota a reliable offensive threat.

If he has another off night? The Wolves could be in real trouble.

3. Jaden McDaniels: Time to Step Up

McDaniels needs to take over this game.

We’ve seen flashes of it—when Ant missed the Portland game, Jaden went nuclear. We need that version of him tonight.

No more hesitating on open threes.

No more standing in the corner and waiting for Ant to do something.

Attack, attack, attack.

This is his moment. If the Wolves win, he’ll be a huge reason why.

4. Utah is in Tank Mode—Break Them Early

The Jazz have no reason to care about this game.

Their season is over, they’re playing for draft position, and their fans are more focused on mock drafts than the actual team.

If the Wolves come out aggressive and build an early lead, the Jazz will fold.

If they don’t? They’ll hang around and suddenly, you’re in a dogfight with a team that has nothing to lose.

We’ve seen it happen too many times this year. Don’t let it happen again.

The Wolves’ Path to Redemption: The Next Six Games

Here’s where things stand:

The Wolves are now in 8th place, clinging to their spot in the play-in tournament.

The good news? The schedule is about to get much easier.

Here’s what’s ahead:

• @ Utah (winnable, even without Ant)
• @ Phoenix (a team in disarray)
• vs. Philly (Embiid is out, take care of business)
• @ Charlotte (No excuses, must win)
• @ Miami (a team without a leader, winnable)
• vs. San Antonio (If you lose to this Wemby-less squad just pack it up)

The path to the 6-seed is there—but it starts tonight.

The Wolves need to win this game against Utah, get Edwards back against Phoenix, and start stacking victories against teams that are out of the playoff hunt.

This has to be a 6-game winning streak.

Anything less than 5-1, and they’re probably locked into the play-in.

Final Thought: The Wolves Need to Control Their Own Destiny

Minnesota has been screwed over enough this season.

Bad officiating.

Injuries.

Questionable rotations.

The constant inconsistency.

That needs to end now.

This final stretch of the season is the Wolves’ last chance to get their act together and prove that they belong in the playoffs—NOT the play-in.

No more excuses.

No more whining about refs.

No more “we played hard but lost.”

Just go win.

And it starts tonight in Utah.