The Minnesota Timberwolves finally seem to be at full strength after being without key pieces due to injury. Julius Randle came back on March 2 after missing 13 outings with a right groin strain. Donte DiVincenzo made his way back from a sprained left big toe on February 27 following his being on the shelf for 19 games. On Sunday, the Timberwolves also saw center Rudy Gobert return to play after he missed nearly a month.
Wolves Back To Full Strength With Return Of Big Man Sunday
Rudy Gobert Makes Return To Lineup
On Sunday, Minnesota put together their best scoring output of the season. They defeated the San Antonio Spurs at home by the score of 141-124. The 141 points beats their previous high of 138 accomplished on February 28 against the Utah Jazz. On Sunday, the Timberwolves were hot from deep connecting on half (21-42) of their three-point tries and shot 55.8% from the field.
Minnesota welcomed back Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, to the lineup. The 7- foot-1 big man had missed each of the previous 10 contests due to a lower back injury. In his first game back on Sunday, he already made an impact. Playing 20 minutes, ‘The Stifle Tower’ finished with 16 points (7-8 from the field, 2-2 from the free-throw line), eight rebounds, and two steals. He was a team-high +18 in the victory.
The 12-year veteran is now in his third season with the Timberwolves after spending his first nine with the Jazz. Last season, he helped guide Minnesota to the Western Conference Finals for just the second time in franchise history and won his fourth Defensive Player of the Year. In 56 games this season, Gobert is posting averages of 11.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks.
With Gobert playing on Sunday, Naz Reid returned back to the bench. The 25-year-old had started each of his previous 17 appearances due to the absences of Randle and Gobert. Reid is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year and should finish somewhere near the top of voting again in 2024-25.
Battling For Playoff Positioning
With the win on Sunday, the Timberwolves saw their record improve to 37-29. It was their fifth win in a row, and they are now a season-high eight games over .500.
The surprising trade of Karl-Anthony Towns right before the season began saw Minnesota playing middling basketball for a while as they tried to get their new pieces fully acclimated fresh off a Western Conference Finals appearance. As they are now a healthy team for the first time in a while, the Timberwolves finally seem to be playing up to their full potential.
Minnesota is just outside a guaranteed playoff position and are in the top Play-In Tournament spot with the seventh-best record in the Western Conference. They are mere percentage points behind the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors who are 36-28. Much like the Timberwolves, the Warriors have also been playing much-improved basketball, especially since acquiring Jimmy Butler.
The Timberwolves will look to win their sixth straight contest on Wednesday when they head on the road to take on the Denver Nuggets.
Photo credit: © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
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