The Minnesota Timberwolves were searching to get back in the win column on Thursday night as they took on the Dallas Mavericks. After a disappointing loss earlier in the week to the New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson, they faced a tough challenge against Luka Doncic and the Mavs.
Minnesota, however, stepped up in a variety of ways. A number of timely stops in the fourth quarter propelled the Wolves on a night when their stars didn’t play up to their standards. Minnesota beat Dallas by a score of 119-101 despite Anthony Edwards having just nine points on a rough 3-19 shooting night.
Here are three key takeaways from the Timberwolves’ impressive win over the Mavs.
Naz Reid steps up big time
With the usual stars not pouring in points like normal, Naz Reid stole the show for a Wolves’ team looking for offensive punch. Minnesota's sixth man drained a career-high seven three-pointers en route to a masterful 27-point performance. Reid led all Wolves’ scorers as his timely perimeter shot-making was pivotal for the Wolves’ offense.
Minnesota’s ability to go to multiple different options helps revitalize the offensive attack. The Wolves find stability through their Horns actions, drive-and-kick basketball or playing through post-ups when they need to find a rhythm. Naz’s flexibility in playing off the catch, in the post and as a screener allows him to ease the Wolves’ struggles at times.
This is key for Minnesota, especially when Edwards is off the court or off his game like Thursday night. The Wolves bench finished with 56 points, a 31-point advantage over Dallas’ reserves.
Reid’s progression into a bonafide offensive weapon off the bench is much-needed for the Timberwolves. With several concerns coming into the year regarding the bench, it’s hard to imagine where Minnesota would be without Naz. On the year, Reid is averaging 13.4 points and 4.6 rebounds with impressive 50.0/39.1/91.7 shooting splits.
Karl-Anthony Towns plays a complete game
One of the biggest storylines for Minnesota this season has been the complete play of Karl-Anthony Towns. Historically criticized for some of his flaws, KAT is silencing the doubters with his play on both ends of the floor.
In just 31 minutes of work, Towns finished with a game-high 17 rebounds. His work on the glass accompanied a solid 21 points on 8-14 shooting. The seven-footer was a +11 on Thursday night, continuing his season-long efforts.
With KAT showing significant improvement defensively in his newer role as a power forward next to Rudy Gobert, Wolves fans should have a lot of confidence in the likelihood of their team's continued success this season. The maturity level across the board seems to be at an all-time high.
Throughout the season, numerous Timberwolves players have pointed to their chemistry and desire to win as explanations for their great defensive efforts this season. Karl-Anthony Towns turning into a great team defender is a great example of that newfound maturity level. His attention to detail such as early positioning, scheme execution and perimeter closeouts are all examples of KAT’s improvements this season.
Chris Finch’s defensive chess moves
As much as the Wolves’ players deserve praise for their defensive efforts, Chris Finch’s defensive adjustments this year are a key reason why Minnesota is leading the Western Conference. While Doncic finished with a crazy stat line of 39 points and 13 assists, it was Finch’s defensive gameplan that stole the show Thursday night in Dallas.
The Wolves mixed up defensive coverages often on Doncic, especially in the pick and roll. One of Minnesota’s most effective plans of attack defensively came from blitzing Doncic on high screens.
The Timberwolves dared Luka to give up the ball and make the other Mavericks beat them. This strategy bred great results as the next leading scorer for Dallas was rookie center Dereck Lively II, who finished with 15 points. The other Mavs’ starters failed to produce when called upon as Grant Williams concluded with just five points on 2-11 shooting (1-7 on threes). Derrick Jones Jr. also struggled as he scored just three points of his own in 30 minutes.
As the game went on, Dallas shied away from their patented high pick-and-roll. With hopes of giving Luka space to operate one-on-one, the Mavs pivoted to isolation basketball. In the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves did a great job at the point of attack by containing the basketball and forcing Luka into making tough shots. While Doncic is capable of doing so, the Wolves got a good number of stops on him allowing Minnesota to pull away late.
In the 19 point-win, Minnesota outscored Dallas by 13 points in the fourth quarter. Doncic finished the game with eight turnovers as the Wolves’ team defense and individual defensive efforts combined for a strong performance, limiting the Mavs' offensive attack.
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