Player grades: Grizzlies blitz Timberwolves in Game 2 to tie series

Minnesota Timberwolves Player Grades

Karl-Anthony Towns: D+

15 points (4-7 FG, 0-1 3P, 7-8 FT), 11 rebounds, two blocks, five turnovers, five fouls

Towns again found himself with two fouls early in the first quarter, and while he played his best basketball of the night immediately after picking up his second personal, he never seemed to regain his game after sitting out for an extended stretch.

Towns’ foul trouble was also a stepping-off point for Minnesota’s defense. He was part of some solid efforts to wall off Ja Morant on high ball screens in the first few minutes, but he couldn’t defend as aggressively later on for fear of further whistles. That allowed Morant (23 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists) to knife into the lane to create buckets for himself and others and catalyze Memphis’ blitzing mindset.

“You try to be as vertical as possible but you also understand that that will be called possibly. So you’re kind of trying to play on a hot stove a little bit with your hands,” Towns said after the game. “After what happened in the play-in, I just didn’t want to put myself in a position where I could get that foul.”

Anthony Edwards: C-

20 points (7-16 FG, 4-10 3P, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, five turnovers

With Towns in foul trouble, Memphis was able to put more defensive attention on Edwards. After torching the nets for 36 points in Game 1, Edwards was unable to replicate the same isolation scoring production as the Grizzlies’ help defenders met him much earlier in drives to cut off his angles.

That extra resistance resulted in some live-ball turnovers that helped Memphis get going. Edwards got into his bag in the second half, but only when Memphis already had the game in hand.

Finch said he wanted to see Edwards make quicker decisions against those loaded looks.

“They’re going to put two on you, it doesn’t matter if it’s pick-and-roll or in a gap, then you’ve done your job. Just move it onto the next guy. I thought those opportunities were there all night long.”

D’Angelo Russell: D-

11 points (3-11 FG, 2-7 3P, 3-4 FT), two rebounds, four assists

Russell struggled with efficiency for the second straight game; he’s now averaging 10.5 points and shooting 22.7 percent in the series.

Memphis has mostly opted to throw Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane on Russell through two games. Those are two big, strong wings who get up in ball handlers’ chests — Brooks is particularly intense on-ball — and it seems the physicality has taken its toll on Russell’s smooth, methodical approach.

“I thought he had some good looks [that] he didn’t let fly on the catch. He’s gonna have to play off the catch a bit more,” Finch said of Russell. “They’re gonna get into you, they’re gonna make it uncomfortable, no matter whether they deny you or pressure you.”

Barring foul trouble, Towns and Edwards have shown they can score in this series. Aside from maybe point-of-attack defense, getting Russell good looks has to be Finch’s top priority moving forward.

Game 3 will be played back at the Target Center at 6:30 p.m. CST on Thursday.