The Minnesota Timberwolves moved to 7-0 at home this season after a convincing 112-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers sans Joel Embiid.
Anthony Edwards led the way for the Timberwolves with a game-high 31 points on 50% shooting, Karl-Anthony Towns poured in 23 points of his own and the defense struck again. Holding the Sixers under 100 points marks the fifth time already this year where their opponent failed to reach the century mark.
With all of those positives, let’s dive deeper into what’s working this season for the Wolves with three major takeaways from their win against the short-handed Sixers
Timberwolves take care of business this season
The Sixers had an uphill battle on the second night of a back-to-back and playing without the reigning MVP. With how well the Timberwolves have played this season, all signs pointed to a guaranteed win for Minnesota.
However, last season the Wolves struggled immensely to show up for games where they are heavily favored. During the 2022-23 season, Minnesota blew double-digit leads more frequently than any other team in the regular season. Not only did they blow leads, they were the only playoff team with a losing record against sub-.500 teams a year ago.
Wednesday night’s win over a short-handed 76ers team displays significant growth for Minnesota. The message in the locker room has been consistent this season: take care of business.
So far this season, the Timberwolves have done just that. This year, Minnesota is 4-1 against teams with a losing record. Due to their added focus to winning must-win games, the Wolves currently hold the second-best record in the NBA at 11-3. While the Wolves have some marquee wins over teams like the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets, their wins against lesser talented or less healthy teams all count the same.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker steps up big time
After Jaden McDaniels suffered a Grade 1 right lateral ankle sprain on Monday night in the Timberwolves' win over the New York Knicks, it was clear someone would have to step up in McDaniels’ absence. Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch turned to Nickeil Alexander-Walker to not only start the game, but to defend Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers' lead guard has been on a torrent start to begin the year with a legitimate case to win the Most Improved Player award. NAW made sure Maxey’s talent wouldn’t be on full display Wednesday night.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker made Maxey uncomfortable from the jump. The Timberwolves consistently forced Maxey to his left hand, where he is significantly less efficient driving the basketball, according to Synergy.
Maxey finished the night with just 16 points in 34 minutes. He shot just 7-of- 19 (36.8%) from the field, and Alexander-Walker’s point of attack defense was the main reason why. On a night without Embiid, the Sixers needed a big performance from their young guard, but that performance just wasn’t going to happen.
NAW has risen to the occasion previously on the defensive end since the Wolves acquired him at the trade deadline last February. His defense was instrumental in their play-in victory over his cousin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Oklahoma City Thunder last April. He also was the Wolves’ primary defender on Jamal Murray during the postseason when McDaniels missed the series with a wrist injury.
The Timberwolves have a serious luxury being able to rely on a player like NAW. Most nights, he’s a key contributor off the bench, but on nights where he’s moved into the starting lineup, his skill set allows him to fit seamlessly next to the stars on the team.
Home sweet home
With the Timberwolves moving to 7-0 at Target Center, they are just one of three teams to remain undefeated at home this season. The other two happen to be the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics.
In recent memory, Wolves fans haven’t been treated to a lot of great basketball. This season is completely different. Unlike the last 15 years, the energy at Target Center this season has consistently been better any other recent regular season.
As the organization is slated to fully change ownership to Alex Rodriguez (who has been in attendance for a ton of the home games) and Marc Lore in 2024, the Wolves are seeing great early results both on the court and in the crowd. With numerous sellout crowds early in the year, consistent energy from the fans, and a better on-court product, Minnesota is hopefully growing into a true basketball market. Management’s investment into the roster has sparked greater fan interest and a flat-out better team than the Wolves' recent history, and this team looks like it could be something special in 2023-24.
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