Player grades from Minnesota Timberwolves’ win at the Toronto Raptors
By Ben Beecken
The Minnesota Timberwolves held on down the stretch to defeat the Toronto Raptors on the road.
86. 112. 81. Final. 116
Finally, a close game in which the Minnesota Timberwolves held on down the stretch.
Yes, this game was in Tampa, but it was the first time the Wolves have beaten the Toronto Raptors on the road since 2004 and the Wolves’ first road win against a likely playoff team since the victory over the Utah Jazz in the second game of the season.
The Wolves trailed at halftime but used a big third quarter and solid defense down the stretch to hang on to defeat Kyle Lowry and the Raptors.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points and 11 rebounds but turned the ball over seven times and fouled out with more than a minute to play. Minnesota’s offense was efficient all the way around and outside of their high frequency of fouls (Toronto attempted a whopping 31 free throws in the game), the halfcourt defense was decent.
Of course, the transition defense continues to be abhorrent, and it’s really the only reason that the Wolves didn’t win this game more handily; the offense was that good.
Every member of the Wolves’ starting lineup scored in double figures, which isn’t typically the case when both Jarred Vanderbilt and Ricky Rubio start. But the Wolves had a balanced offensive attack and fought hard enough defensively to pull out a win down the stretch.
Minnesota took a five-point lead with just under a minute to play and got a defensive stop, but Kyle Lowry stole the rebound away from Towns. Seconds later, Towns was called for his sixth foul on a DeAndre’ Bembry and-one, and the Wolves star was disqualified while it was suddenly a two-point game.
On the other end, Anthony Edwards was fouled and made two huge free throws. Then, Lowry scored (far too) easily for the Raptors to make it a two-point game again. But Malik Beasley was trapped in the corner after the in-bounds pass and stepped out of bounds before the Wolves called timeout, and the Raptors had the ball, down two with 11.6 seconds to play.
Pascal Siakam got around Jaden McDaniels but missed the layup, and after a Wolves rebound and timeout, Jordan McLaughlin knocked down a pair of free throws to ice the game.
Minnesota Timberwolves Player Grades at Toronto Raptors
Center. Minnesota Timberwolves. KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS. B. Karl-Anthony Towns only attempted five shots in the first half and had eight points and nine rebounds at the break. He finished with 20 points (8-11 FG, 2-3 3P, 2-4 FT), 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and a steal but committed seven turnovers. It was a bit curious that the Wolves didn’t get him more involved early; Aron Baynes isn’t exactly the model of defense in the pick-and-roll game. But the Raptors guards did a solid job defensively and the Wolves were content to have Edwards and Beasley attack. Outside of the turnovers and fouling out, Towns played a solid, efficient game in his third contest back.
A. Malik Beasley was once again on fire from outside the arc, shooting 6-of-10 from deep en route to 20 points, six assists, three rebounds, and a steal. He was fantastic from the corners, using his lightning-quick release to torture the Raptors all night. This was easily the best game for the Beasley-Towns tandem since KAT’s return.. Wing. Minnesota Timberwolves. MALIK BEASLEY
A-. Anthony Edwards turned in another encouraging performance, putting up 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting. He was just 1-of-7 from outside the arc but had a few impressive drives, once again bulling over defenders and jetting right to the rim. Edwards also pitched in seven rebounds and three assists and only turned the ball over twice in 35 minutes despite initiating plenty of offense for the Wolves.. Wing. Minnesota Timberwolves. ANTHONY EDWARDS
Minnesota Timberwolves. RICKY RUBIO. A-. Ricky Rubio had his second-highest-scoring night of the season, dropping 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-8 from outside the arc. He also had five assists and zero turnovers and was more than willing to shoot the ball when he was open. Certainly an encouraging performance from the Spaniard, and hopefully the first step in rediscovering his game that mysteriously disappeared since he returned to the Twin Cities.. Point Guard
JARRED VANDERBILT. A. Talk about efficiency. The low-usage, defensive-minded big turned in a 12-point, 7-rebound performance on 4-of-5 shooting and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. Head coach Ryan Saunders went with Vanderbilt down the stretch over Jaden McDaniels and Vando proved him correct, playing solid defensively and not hurting the Wolves on offense. This was one of his better performances in awhile.. Big. Minnesota Timberwolves
A-. Jaylen Nowell quietly bounced back from a pair of poor games with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting off the bench, including a strong third quarter as the Wolves built a double-digit lead. The Wolves need his efficient scoring off the bench, and he did just that against the Raptors.. Wing. Minnesota Timberwolves. JAYLEN NOWELL
Minnesota Timberwolves. JADEN MCDANIELS. A-. Jaden McDaniels had another good game, getting tough defensive assignments and largely holding his own. He once again put up a strong plus-minus; his +11 mark was second-best on the team. McDaniels had six points, two rebounds, two assists, and a block in 18 minutes and shot 2-of-3 from the field, including a 3-pointer.. Forward
Other Minnesota Timberwolves Players
The rest of the Wolves roster had quiet games as Saunders relied heavily on the starters to bring this one home.
Jordan McLaughlin had a great first half and played a couple of minutes alongside Rubio in the backcourt. He finished with six points, four assists, three rebounds, two steals, and a block in 19 minutes and continues to look the part of more than simply a backup point guard.
Naz Reid was quiet, putting up only two points and two rebounds in 14 minutes. The Wolves went with the defensive flexibility of Vanderbilt and McDaniels down the stretch, even after Towns fouled out.
Juancho Hernangomez rejoined the regular rotation. scoring five points and pulling down three rebounds in 10 minutes while Josh Okogie played only seven minutes and was scoreless on three shot attempts.
Next. The Wolves players most likely to be traded are.... dark
Up next for the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves head back to Minneapolis for a three-game homestand. They play host to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday at 7 p.m. CT.