Coming off of a disastrous loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, the Minnesota Timberwolves were looking get back in the win column in the second game of a five-game road trip. Taking on the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, the Timberwolves came out on the prowl.
Minnesota effectively limited Giannis Antetokounmpo as the Bucks were short-handed without Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton. On the season, Milwaukee came into the contest 0-4 without Lillard on the floor. Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves took full advantage of the Bucks’ shortcomings in a convincing 129-105 away victory.
Balanced scoring attack lead the Timberwolves
While Minnesota is usually led by stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards in the scoring department, a consistent dose of various Wolves stepped up in the big win. Five players scored more than 15 points compared to just three players for the Bucks.
Edwards was still the headliner as he led Minnesota with 26 points and nine assists on 9-20 (45%) shooting from the field. The star guard also recorded zero turnovers in the win. The Wolves offense is at its best on nights where Edwards’ decision-making and shot-making are both firing on all cylinders.
Additionally, point guard Mike Conley had a strong game as the team awaits the arrival of new backup Monte Morris. Recording nine assists of his own, Conley led the offense as per usual. Not only was the veteran guard racking up assists, he was also scoring the ball at a high-level. Conley bounced back from a rough shooting stretch (6-22 in his last three games).
On the night, Minnesota’s point guard drilled six triples on just seven attempts. When Conley is knocking down shots — especially in the pick and roll game — the Timberwolves become a much more dynamic offensive attack.
Timberwolves big men show out
Minnesota’s three big men showed off their dominance as well in a pivotal boarder battle matchup. Karl-Anthony Towns continued his hot, high volume shooting from deep as the seven-footer shot 4-6 from behind the arc. His 19 points came in a +21 effort.
Minnesota’s other sharpshooting center, Naz Reid, went off as well. Shooting 6-11 from the field, Reid’s scoring came through a few triples and some strong downhill drives.
The Timberwolves ability to cycle in talented bigs capable of handling the ball, knocking down perimeter shots, posting up and finishing at the rim is unmatched in the NBA. However, the Timberwolves most impactful big man might be Rudy Gobert. Thursday night was just another example of his dominance.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled for his standard as he racked up just 17 points. The Stifle Tower’s ability to challenge the Greek Freak at the rim held the star forward to just 7-14 shooting.
Gobert was much more efficient on the offensive end himself. Converting on eight of his nine attempts, Gobert racked up another double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Timberwolves big man recorded four assists as well on the night. While it might not sound like a lot, Gobert’s improvement as a passer has been quite stark this season.
Making reads off of short-rolls, Minnesota has found a good deal of success with their center spraying the ball out to shooters at times this season. The Timberwolves three big men combined for 52 points on the night as they significantly outplayed Milwaukee’s trio of bigs in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis.
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