Thanks to an increasingly powerful offense, Minnesota has had a series of victories before Monday’s rematch against Utah in Salt Lake City.
The Timberwolves have won four of their last five games while scoring 122 points or more in each of those victories. Minnesota has put on an offensive clinic in each of its last two games, obliterating the opposing defense each time.
In their first meeting against the Jazz on Friday, the Timberwolves opened the NBA Cup bracket by running away with a 137-97 victory in Minneapolis. Minnesota led 43-15 after one quarter and shot 56.8% from the field and 47.2% from 3-point range for the game.
All-Star guard Anthony Edwards scored eight of his team’s first 10 points and had 14 in the first quarter alone.
“I wanted to set the tone,” Edwards told the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Julius Randle had a triple-double against the Jazz, totaling 19 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. His all-around effort complemented a 37-point outing from Edwards.
Utah had no answers for Edwards, who was playing his second game after missing four games with a hamstring strain.
“He’s our leader, and he’s got to be aggressive, and he’s got to be himself,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said of Edwards after Friday’s win. “And I thought he played fast and clean.”
It was much of the same in a 144-117 win over Sacramento on Sunday. Minnesota shot 53.6% from the field and 39.1% from 3-point range. The Timberwolves scored 37 points off 18 turnovers and 32 fast break points.
Edwards once again set the tone, scoring 26 points, including five 3-pointers. He was one of seven Minnesota players to reach double figures.
“He’s a great scorer. He can do it at all three levels,” Jazz coach Will Hardy told SI.com on Friday. “I think his athleticism in hitting jump shots is really special.”
Utah faces a daunting challenge trying to contain Edwards, Randle and their supporting cast. The Jazz defense has been porous since losing Walker Kessler to a season-ending shoulder injury.
In each of its six losses, Utah’s opponent shot 47 percent or better from the field. The Jazz also got off to a slow start defensively, allowing 36.8 points in the first quarter in their last four losses.
On the other hand, the offensive remained empty when answers were needed.
Lauri Markkanen struggled profoundly in the first go-around against the Timberwolves – scoring a season-low 12 points while shooting just 28.6 percent from the field (4 of 14). This was in stark contrast to how Markkanen played in October when he had four straight games with 32 or more points, including a 41-point game in an overtime home win against Phoenix on October 27.
While Utah seems to go up and down with Markkanen, Keyonte George has been a bigger indicator of success. The Jazz are 2-2 when George scores 25 or more points, and they have only won once when he doesn’t reach 20.
–Field level media
