After Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury, we were waiting to see Wolves’ reaction. Especially since the opponent was not a gift since it was Ja Morant’s Grizzlies, and Jaden McDaniels, Taurean Prince and Jordan McLaughlin were also missing on the side of the Minneapolis squad…
With Kyle Anderson and Wendell Moore Jr. in the five major, there was reason to be worried for Wolves fans but Chris Finch’s troupe on the contrary achieved their most electric performance of the season!
Thanks to a found Anthony Edwards, and aggressive on both sides of the field, Minnesota caused a lot of ball losses from Memphis, which also ended up annoying Ja Morant and company. The visitors from Tennessee still had the chance to come away with the victory but Anthony Edwards had the game in hand, with several baskets plus an alley-oop offering for Rudy Gobert for a fatal 7-0 in the “money-time”.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The energy of Anthony Edwards. “Ant” did not hide his frustration with the KAT / Gobert duo on the ground, which left him little room to work. The first injured, he regained space and above all energy. Hyper-aggressive both in attack and defense, he carried his team, especially in the first and last quarters, as a reminder of how lethal he was when involved. With 29 points at 10/18 shooting, 5 assists, 5 steals, 3 rebounds and 3 blocks, he was the leader this team needed.
– An incredible rebound deficit. Can you lose a game when you take 30 more rebounds than your opponent? The Grizzlies just proved it’s possible. Because Steven Adams, Jaren Jackson Jr. and company completely dominated the rebound battle (59-29) with a Rudy Gobert limited in particular to one take. Except that they also lost 27 balls (!) and left a good bunch of free throws on the way (18/30)…
– Grizzlies frustration. Inevitably, Memphis could blame himself. Falling against Wolves so diminished, having so many “second chances” and wasting so much ammunition on the throwing line, it was unpinning Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks, who were sent off at the very end of the game.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Anthony Edwards. We put a layer of it but it’s really nice to see “Ant” with this level of energy and will. Disappointing since the start of the season, not knowing where to place himself, he showed how much he could weigh when he had the keys to the team. A message for the future?
✅ Jaylen Nowell. After a complicated period, the 6th man of Wolves finds colors. Tonight, his ability to create his own shots, and especially put it, did his team a lot of good.
⛔️ Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks. The two main ball carriers from Memphis were trapped by the aggressiveness of the Wolves defense. To the point of losing 12 balls between them, almost half of the ball losses of their team, and to get frustrated to the point of reaching the shower before everyone else.
THE FOLLOWING
Memphis (12-9): the Grizzlies host the Sixers tomorrow night (2 a.m.)
Minnesota (11-11): Wolves host Thunder on Saturday night (2:00 a.m.)
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