Timberwolves pull away late, beat Grizzlies for fourth straight win

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 28 points in the victory.

It always felt like it’d just be a matter of time before the Timberwolves pulled away.

Despite some lackluster first-quarter defense and some shooting struggles from 3-point range, not to mention some hot shooting by the Memphis Grizzlies, it never seemed like Minnesota was really in any trouble Thursday night at Target Center.

And that ended up being the case as the Wolves rallied from a five-point third-quarter deficit in a 118-103 win over the short-handed Grizzlies, their fourth straight victory. 

"It felt to me, as long as we could keep it close, we could find a run. It just kinda felt like one of those games, and that's what ended up happening," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. 

After not being able to buy a bucket from long range early in the contest, Minnesota’s shooting woes finally came to an end in the fourth quarter. Mike Conley hit a pair of 3-pointers and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid each hit one apiece as the Wolves (30-11) turned the five-point deficit into an eight-point lead early in the frame. The shots just kept falling after that.

Memphis (15-26) had jumped out to an early lead that rose as large as 13 points in the first quarter, but Naz Reid almost singlehandedly erased the early deficit. Reid scored 13 points during a 13-1 Timberwolves run that knotted the game at 30-30 by the end of the first frame.

"It came at the right time. The first part of that first quarter, started things a little bit flat. Started with four turnovers in the first six or seven possessions and then with Naz coming in, hitting a couple 3s, and then the energy picks up," Finch said. "And he brings so much energy to the building. The crowd loves him, he responds to it, we respond to them." 

Jaren Jackson Jr. was the engine that powered the Grizzlies early, scoring 15 points in the opening quarter and adding eight more in the second frame as Memphis enjoyed a 55-50 halftime advantage. Jackson finished his night with 36 points, even as foul trouble forced him to sit for a stretch during the fourth quarter.

The Wolves looked like they were going to take control in the third quarter when they finally took the lead after trailing most of the night, with Anthony Edwards scoring 14 points in the frame, including a highlight-reel dunk where he threw the ball off the backboard to himself and slammed it in. Edwards finished his night with 28 points, five rebounds and five assists.

But Minnesota kept giving Luke Kennard open looks from 3, and he knocked them down. Kennard finished his night with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including a 5-of-7 mark from deep. The Memphis lead was still five after three quarters. 

The Grizzlies have been without Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Brandon Clarke and Marcus Smart, all out with injuries, several of which are season ending.

Rudy Gobert tallied 17 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks — the 22nd time he’s recorded at least six in a game in his career. It matched the most blocks he’s recorded in a Wolves uniform.

Reid had 20 points off the bench. Conley had 17 points and 10 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaden McDaniels scored 14 and 11 points, respectively. 

Final key stats

• Anthony Edwards: 28 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal
• Naz Reid: 20 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist
• Mike Conley: 17 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals 
• Rudy Gobert: 17 points, 10 rebounds, 6 blocks, 4 assists
• Karl-Anthony Towns: 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
• Jaden McDaniels: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
• Jaren Jackson Jr.: 36 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 block