With a week of hindsight now, we can clearly say that Anthony Edwards was right to bang his fist on the table after the loss against the Kings. It was then the fourth in a row and the rear had not been kind towards the performances and attitudes of the Wolves. He had spoken of a “band of little boys” who do not arrive “not to talk to each other”…
The words of the 2024 Olympic champion visibly struck each of the players, and the group as a whole, because since this speech, Minnesota has played three matches, all won.
“We were all up against the wall, at a time when the season could go in one direction or another”, examines Mike Conley. “We can quickly hit rock bottom. We set out to tell ourselves what we wanted to do with the season, what we wanted to become and where we wanted to go. »
Gladiators in the arena
The Wolves' future lies in their past. By returning to their defense from last season. In these three matches, all against the Los Angeles teams, Chris Finch's troops only conceded 84 points on average! The Clippers, certainly tired, did not exist in the face of such intensity and concentration.
“This is the second game in a row that we played our best basketball overall, on both ends of the court”judges the coach after the successes against the Lakers and the Clippers, almost with the same score (109-80 then 108-80). “We needed to get back to basics, that is to say our defense, and it was important to hear that from him”confirms Rudy Gobert, evoking the words of Anthony Edwards. “He’s involved and wants to make sure everyone is.” »
The Frenchman was particularly so in this meeting against the Clippers. In the first duel, he got into a physical fight with Ivica Zubac. There, the four-time defender of the year made his reading of the game speak more, stealing four balls while passing in front of the Los Angeles pivot at the last moment, when the pass was made.
Complete, Rudy Gobert finished with 8 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals for his first visit to the Intuit Dome, which could not make much noise, as the gap between the two teams was significant and visible from the start. “I felt like I was in the movie Gladiator, one of my favorites”the Frenchman jokes, comparing the famous “Wall” with the Colosseum. Wednesday evening, with their enormous defense, the Wolves were indeed gladiators who emerged victorious from the Inglewood arena.
