Anthony Edwards scores 41 as Wolves blow out Jazz, extend win streak to eight games

Edwards didn't even play in the fourth quarter Sunday night as Minnesota was in total control.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates after making a shot against the Utah Jazz in the first half at Target Center in Minneapolis on March 16, 2025. / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Anthony Edwards got to the paint, knocked down 3-pointers and ran the floor in transition.

A dominant 21-point first quarter from Edwards included a highlight-reel dunk and ignited the Minnesota Timberwolves as they blew out the short-handed Utah Jazz 128-102 Sunday at Target Center in Minneapolis for their eighth straight win.

"Loved our start, it's what we asked the guys to do, defensively more than offensively. That's where I thought we were really good, and then we turned it into a lot of really good offense," said Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, who became just the second coach in franchise history to reach 200 career wins with Sunday's victory.

With his 200th career win tonight, Chris Finch becomes the second @Timberwolves coach to ever reach 200 wins, doing so in his 356th game.

Flip Saunders (427 wins) reached the mark in 393 games coached. https://t.co/JrBh1eyNYr

— Timberwolves PR (@Twolves_PR) March 17, 2025

Edwards scored a game-high 41 points and didn't even play in the fourth quarter. After the 21-point first quarter, he caught fire again in the third quarter, knocking down a pair of 3s and throwing down a transition dunk as the Wolves (40-29) took a 23-point lead into the final frame. It took less than three minutes for that advantage to balloon to 30 points.

Edwards surpassed Andrew Wiggins to become the third-leading scorer in franchise history after the big first quarter.

"I wanted to go for like 60, but — I thought I was on pace after the first quarter, but you know, when you sit a little bit, you get kind of cold because I missed like four or five 3s that I usually make in the second, and that's still on my mind," Edwards said. "I'm definitely mad about that, for sure."

Jaden McDaniels was a dominant partner in crime for Edwards, and both players finished with absurd game-best plus-minuses of plus-31. McDaniels even had a double-double by halftime, the first time he's done so in his career, and finished his night with 20 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and steal in a truly terrific two-way performance.

"He's becoming an ascending player, a guy that I don't know whether — some nights he's our two or three, it doesn't matter, like he really finds a way to impact the game," Finch said. "His statline is continually impressive, but what I like is a lot of the little things that don't show up on the stats: his energy plays, his extra effort plays, his physicality when need be. He's just playing with so much confidence."

The Jazz (15-53), who sit last in the Western Conference and lost their ninth straight, were undermanned without John Collins, Jordan Clarkson and Keyonte George, among others. The Wolves previously had a tendency not to show up in games against inferior short-handed opponents, but that couldn't have been further from the case Sunday. They took care of business from the start and led by double digits for most of the night, save for a shaky start to the second frame.

Minnesota was so much in command early in the fourth quarter that Wolves coach Chris Finch emptied his bench with 9 minutes, 24 seconds still remaining. That even included minutes for recently-signed guard Bones Hyland, who's on a two-way contract and has been lighting it up in the G League. Hyland had two points and an assist in his Wolves debut.

With the Timberwolves on the front end of a back to back, playing again Monday night at home against the Indiana Pacers, they rested Mike Conley and Donte DiVincenzo got the start. DiVincenzo was productive facilitating early as Edwards exploded in the first quarter, dishing out five assists in the frame. He finished with 11 points and seven assists.

With Conley out, Jaylen Clark was the eighth man in the rotation and made a big defensive impact in 17 minutes of action. He had three steals in addition to recording eight points, four assists and three boards in an impressive all-around effort.

No Wolves starter played more than 31 minutes.

It's a quick turnaround for the Wolves as they welcome the Pacers to Target Center Monday night. They'll be looking for their ninth straight win, which would match the second-longest win streak in franchise history, when they tip off at 7 p.m.

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