Timberwolves 116, Knicks 99: MSG Masterpiece

The Wolves put on one of their best offensive displays of the season, including a quick start from a starting five that has had its issues.

A response was in order from a Wednesday night nationally-televised game in which the Minnesota Timberwolves lost in debilitating fashion to a short, and shorthanded Golden State Warriors team.

Anthony Edwards called the starting five terrible. Rudy Gobert admitted to overthinking his positioning on the glass in grabbing rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo scored 28 points but got hurt on the final play of the game, holding him out of Friday night’s contest against his former team at Madison Square Garden.

Everything was shaping up for a letdown loss on the road in a place that’s difficult to win at, against one of the best teams in the league in the New York Knicks.

Until it wasn’t.

Much about the game was unconventional. The starting five, a familiar group with Mike Conley steering the ship, came out strong offensively, getting into a rhythm by cleaning the glass on offense and hitting open shots. Conley himself had 10 points in the opening quarter and was important in his aggression to be able to open up shooters and pose Rudy Gobert as an early threat.

“The mission before we took him out of the starting lineup was to be aggressive in that first shift…he was doing that, and continued it tonight,” Chris Finch said afterwards. “10 points in the first quarter was huge.”

New York down Karl-Anthony Towns and starting Jericho Sims, it was crucial to attack the paint, defend aggressively on pick and rolls, and pressure the glass. It was clear early on that the offensive rebounding gave everyone confidence.

Jaden McDaniels continued his hot rebounding stretch with eight, Randle had seven, and Anthony Edwards put on one of his best displays on the glass this season with 13.

“Our smalls really rebounded well,” Finch said. “It’s really been the determinate of our consistency, and defense.”

The Knicks tried their hardest to punch back. The first half was a track meet of scoring. The Wolves shot 55 percent from three in the first half and the Knicks shot 66 percent, much of it coming on the back of a scoring pop off the bench from Cam Payne. The former Murray State guard poured in 18 points in 6 minutes and narrowed a double-digit deficit to four at the halftime horn.

But the Wolves were able to dial into their defense in the second half and hold New York to just 40 points in the final two quarters. Pick and roll defense on Jalen Brunson (13 second half points) was outstanding, and Mikal Bridges, who killed the Wolves in the last go-around, played 19 second half minutes and scored just five points.

It was a show of maturity for a Wolves team that struggles so often with it to settle in defensively in a track meet of a game, and stop the stretches of trading of buckets that have plagued them oftentimes this season.

“When we’re able to control the boards, we’re a good defensive team,” Finch said. “We always have been. We make people miss a lot of shots at the first shots…we just gotta rebound.”

“Whoever had the most stops wins the game,” Naz Reid added.

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Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

A Happy Homecoming

Not only was it a literal homecoming for Julius Randle, but Naz Reid got his jersey retired at his high school across the river in New Jersey over the road trip. He followed it up with a vintage performance the following night at the garden.

He seemingly came up with big buckets at every turn when it mattered, including in the third quarter when New York clawed its way back to a tie ballgame, to audible groans from the arena when Reid put through a 28-foot quick release three to go right back up.

His chemistry with everyone is palpable. In the last two games, he’s closed in place of Julius Randle in a close loss where he made a massive difference, and was everywhere Randle needed him to be tonight in a big playmaking performance from number 30.

“I’m just trying to find the open spot for him to get and easy pass to me or whatever it is,” he said. “I’m kind of learning and understanding now what he likes to get to…so just trying to get in position.”

Reid finished the game with 23 points off the bench, and had a really good rebounding game with eight. It was a classic performance from him that many have come to expect out of a reigning sixth man of the year, and someone who has an upcoming lucrative player option they could pick up at the season’s conclusion.

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Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Emptying the Notebook

• Julius Randle’s return was the story that maybe got headlines, but the game he turned in should get more. He scored just eight points, but he ended the night plus-20 for a reason. He crashed the glass hard, drew defenders into the paint and finished with six assists, including several additional hockey assists. If he continues to play like that, this team will absolutely turn it around, and he’ll find himself in more single coverage situations to get buckets down low.
• Rob Dillingham made his first appearance since he returned from an ankle sprain and logged really good minutes, including a nice lob to Rudy Gobert early on in the game. I’m not sure how consistent his minutes are going to be (I would imagine they’re going to be situational for what the game needs with Josh Minott), but he certainly made an excellent case to be more of a fixture. Finch raved as much afterwards and made multiple attempts to point to how important Dillingham’s play was. With DiVincenzo out, I don’t see an exit from the rotation coming anytime in that window.

• Another awesome Jaden McDaniels game that won’t pop out of the box score. In back to back games, he’s been the primary matchup for Jalen Brunson and Stephen Curry, scored double digit points, and been active on the glass. It feels like he’s catching a rhythm after what has largely been an underwhelming season.

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Up Next

Not ideal; a back-to-back with a late start against one of the best teams in the league in the Cleveland Cavaliers, who will have a day of rest beforehand. The Cavs are coming off of a nationally-televised loss in their rematch with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but pose a good challenge with their two-big starting lineup for the Wolves to try and capture the good rebounding performance on Friday once again. Game tips Saturday, January 18th at 8:00pm CT.

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Highlights