The Minnesota Timberwolves continued their short road trip on Tuesday with a battle against the Orlando Magic. Minnesota made it clear from the jump that they would not be denied in Orlando. Jumping out to an early lead, the visitors showed off all their might against a good Magic team. The Timberwolves took a 33-16 lead into the second quarter, an impressive advantage they clearly deemed not big enough.
Minnesota expanded on its strong start with a 24-4 run in the second frame, taking a 67-37 lead into the halftime break. From there, the T-Wolves did not look back, showing their teeth all night. Here are our instant takeaways from the Minnesota Timberwolves' 113-92 throttling of the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night.
Jaden McDaniels dominates defensively
Magic star forward Paolo Banchero has put the league on notice with his recent play. Coming into Tuesday's game, the reigning Rookie of the Year was averaging 33 points, nine rebounds and 6.6 assists over his last five. With Banchero dominating on the offensive end, the Timberwolves faced a tough challenge in slowing him down. Chris Finch called upon All-Defense candidate Jaden McDaniels to take the assignment, and his team's top perimeter answered the call.
McDaniels held Banchero in check as his primary assignment. Banchero struggled massively early, shooting just 3-13 from the field as McDaniels' dogged defense spearheaded the Timberwolves' big hafltime lead. On the night, the Magic star scored just 18 points on abysmal 8-of-22 shooting.
With a bevy of great nicknames throughout NBA history for elite defenders like “The Glove,” “The Klaw” and “Off-Night”, “The Seatbelt” (McDaniels’ monicker) makes his case one of the best defenders across the entire association. As nights like Tuesday's pile up this season, McDaniels should be a no-brainer for First Team All-Defense consideration.
Other Timberwolves step up with Anthony Edwards in foul trouble
In a game where Anthony Edwards was limited due to foul trouble (six points in the first three quarters), Minnesota’s offense still showed up in a big way. The Wolves found key contributions through a couple of their bigs, most specifically, Rudy Gobert. The French seven-footer consistently rocked the rim against Orlando, finishing with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Gobert’s offensive output is a good barometer for how effective Minnesota’s offense is rolling. The Timberwolves are now 12-1 this season when Gobert pours in 15 points or more. While often overlooked for his offensive game, Gobert is a near-perfect off-ball weapon who can be an impactful contributor when utilized. A selfless screen-setter, rim-runner and weakside lob threat, Gobert’s off-ball positioning has provided a major boost for good offenses throughout his career. His effort in doing the dirty work often turns to points when other Timberwolves find him.
In addition to Gobert, Wolves backup big man Naz Reid continued his great season off the bench. In just 21 minutes, Big Jelly racked up 13 points while posting a double-double. Though Minnesota's offense has been shaky this season even when Edwards is at his best, it was rock solid Tuesday night—a real positive sign for the Timberwolves.
Karl-Anthony Towns shoots from deep
The Wolves’ long-time big man has been terrific all season. Posting incredibly efficient shooting splits at a healthy scoring rate, one big concern around Towns has been his lower volume of three-point attempts. From the 2018-19 to 2022-23, KAT averaged six three-point attempts per game. This season, however, Towns is averaging just 4.7 long-range tries per game. That near 25% decrease is a big deal, especially with Towns playing next to a non-shooting big like Gobert.
The Wolves’ offense and spacing is at its best when KAT is aggressive launching from beyond the arc. He shot a perfect 5-5 on triples in Orlando, which will hopefully push him toward embracing the long ball more often going forward. Towns poured in 28 points versus the Magic behind a strong 11-of-19 shooting night, no surprise given his consistent ability to step up in 2023-24 for the rare occasions Edwards has underwhelmed.
Follow Us
Subscribe