Despite facing an underachieving Charlotte Hornets team, Wednesday’s matchup had every chance to be a trap game for the Minnesota Timberwolves. They did not touch down in Charlotte, N.C., until the early morning hours after leaving in the middle of a snowstorm back home in Minneapolis. The game itself came less than 24 hours after they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.
And yet, the Wolves showed no signs of being exhausted on the grueling back-to-back and they carried over all the momentum from Tuesday’s victory while leaving the distractions back home. The Wolves beat the Hornets 125-110 at the Spectrum Center.
The win is Minnesota’s third straight.
The good things you could take away, like their offensive continuity, carried over from the night before. Jaden McDaniels was particularly strong on his way to a game-high-tying 29 points. It started with cleaning up misses on the offensive glass in the opening quarter, continued with some perimeter shooting from beyond the arc and he fully put on display what has become a weapon in his arsenal, his midrange jump shot, a shot coach Chris Finch often describes as automatic. McDaniels also added nine boards and four assists.
But McDaniels was not the only weapon who was effective for the Wolves (35-29). There was the always-reliable Anthony Edwards, who matched the game high with 29 points. There was Julius Randle, who continues to damage in a lot of areas for Minnesota since he has returned from a groin injury. Whether that is coming through with a timely basket when the Wolves need it or utilizing his dynamic playmaking skills, Randle did it all on a night he was one assist shy of a triple-double.
Embed from Getty ImagesRandle finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
The Wolves took control with a 13-0 run in the third quarter and used a 10-0 surge in the fourth to put the game on ice. The final score was not a true representation of the blowout. Minnesota led by as many as 22, and the Hornets were not able to cut their deficit to 10 until the game was out of reach, with only 2 minutes, 14 seconds remaining on the clock. It was much too little, much too late.
Naz Reid had a relatively pedestrian outing with 13 points, but 12 of those came in the first quarter as the Wolves did not waste any time racing out to a quick 11-point advantage. Marksman Donte DiVincenzo knocked down four 3s on his way to 16 points. It was an impressive all-around effort offensively for the Wolves for the second night in a row, and it came without Tuesday night’s drawbacks.
Reid, also for his part, attempted to get Randle the triple-double, taking a late 3 off his pass. It did not go in the hole.
Turnovers were a major issue for the Wolves against the 76ers as they totaled 19 on the night, 11 of which occurred in the first quarter. The start, and the rest of the game, could not have been more different on Wednesday. Minnesota had a single turnover in the first quarter and finished with just six on the night. The Wolves also did not lose their defensive assignments. LaMelo Ball led the Hornets (14-47) with 28 points with 6 helpers but shot just 11 for 23 from the field. Miles Bridges had 23 points and nine rebounds and five assists.
If one just looked at the rebounding numbers, they might think this was a much closer affair. The Hornets dominated there, snatching 57 boards to Minnesota’s 43. They had five players with at least seven, led by LaMelo Ball’s 10 rebounds. 20 of those rebounds were of the offensive variety, but they still could not score well enough to keep up with the Timberwolves potent offense.
There is no doubt that the Wolves are flat out better than the Hornets in nearly every phase of the game. It was a game they were supposed to and needed to win. But handling their business has not always been easy for the Wolves this season. And even when they have, like on Tuesday, it has not always been in seamless wire-to-wire fashion. Wednesday’s game against the Hornets could be a blueprint for what they need to do for the rest of the season and what they need to do against lesser opponents. The Wolves got the job done in style.
The Wolves return to action Friday night when they visit Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff.
The Hornets face Donovan Mitchel and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
