For a brief stretch Saturday, it looked like the Timberwolves might fall into a similar trap that’s doomed them for much of the season. The Wolves and the lowly Spurs were tied 35-35 after a quarter in Austin, Texas.
But Minnesota found another gear, turned the affair into a 151-131 blowout victory and will be rewarded with a true showdown Sunday at home against New Orleans
The Sunday matinee will determine which seed Minnesota gets for the play-in tournament. Lose and the Wolves finish as the No. 9 seed and need two play-in wins to reach the playoffs. Win and they advance into the far more advantageous No. 7-8 game.
The path to the playoffs is at a true fork in the road.
But Sunday’s contest would’ve been rendered moot for Minnesota had it not taken care of business against the Spurs (21-59), who sat the majority of their rotational players. This is the time of year when tanking teams take their level of tank to an entirely different level.
Still, the rotation San Antonio trotted out Saturday rivaled the one Minnesota couldn’t beat last weekend in its stunning loss to Portland. But the Wolves were sure to avoid a similar fate Saturday.
While the defense took a while to crank up its intensity to the proper level, the offense was off and running from the contest’s outset. Anthony Edwards lit the match on that end, scoring 16 points on 11 attempts in the opening frame.
“We just played a game like this versus Portland, and I didn’t come out aggressive,” Edwards said in his on-court, postgame television interview. “I put it on myself to come out ultra-aggressive tonight to set the tone and hopefully it did.”
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch noted to reporters that Edwards also made a couple of steals that erased other defensive mistakes by the guard himself and his teammates. Edwards appears to be nearing his pre-ankle injury and illness form.
“It feels like there’s a little bit more bounce in everything he’s doing, a little bit more confidence, for sure,” Finch said.
Edwards regaining form is occurring at the most opportune time for Minnesota, with the season hitting an inflection point Sunday. The same can be said about the bench’s resurgence. Players like Jordan McLaughlin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Taurean Prince have been inconsistent at best of late. But they brought the goods Saturday, combining to go 8 for 11 from 3-point range. McLaughlin also tallied nine of the team’s 42 assists.
“I think they certainly have put the work in over these days. They played a lot more decisive. It was a lot with catch and shoots, there was a lot of play off the catch, there was a lot of making the right plays early,” Finch said. “There wasn’t a lot of holding, a lot of indecision. I think that’s what’s gotten those guys into trouble in the past, so that was really good to see.”
That same thing could be said about much of the Timberwolves’ offense. Minnesota shot 55 percent from the field and buried 24 triples while shooting 56 percent from deep. All five starters scored in double figures, including 20 points from Mike Conley, who crossed the 15,000-point threshold for his career.
“We needed a game like that where from the beginning, first tip of the game, come out playing with our mindset in the right place,” Conley said in his on-court television interview. “Purely just being unselfish. We play well when we aren’t selfish, just making plays for each other and just doing it.”
Should that approach carry over for at least one more day, there is a good chance Minnesota will play in the No. 7-8 play-in game on Tuesday. If not, it may need to wait until Wednesday for the No. 9-10 game.
“There’s a lot at stake tomorrow. We’re at home, that’s all you can ask for,” Finch said. “It’s going to be a toughy.”
A “toughy” indeed.
“I’m coming out lights out. I’m locked in. This game is super important,” Edwards said. “We coming to fight.”
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