On Sunday evening, the Minnesota Timberwolves finally began to look like the juggernaut they’d been touted as all offseason. Coming off three losses in a row and having lost six of their last seven games, the Timberwolves desperately needed a win.
And they got one, taking home a hard-earned 129-124 win in Cleveland over the Cavaliers. During the last two weeks, much has been made of Minnesota’s struggles. There have been some head-scratching moments and ugly losses, leading many to question the direction and future of this team.
Some even declared the team’s offseason moves an outright failure based on the results of the first dozen-plus games of the season. While it has certainly looked bleak for the Timberwolves at times to start the year, it was still hard to envision a scenario where they didn’t get any better.
A win like the one we witnessed on Sunday should go a long way toward encouraging the fanbase that this team still has a long way to go. The Timberwolves’ win over a solid Cavs squad was reassuring, and could end up being the moment things start to change for the better for this group.
Minnesota had five players in double figures while dominating Cleveland in virtually every box score statistic. Let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers from Sunday night’s contest.
Winner: D’Angelo Russell
Timberwolves fans had been waiting to see if D’Angelo Russell would finally break out of the prolonged cold spell he’s been in lately. Leading up to Sunday, he was shooting below 30% from the floor of the course of his previous 32 games, dating back to the 2021-22 season.
It was a streak of such poor shooting that many questioned his fit on the team. And it was a fair discussion, as there were certainly times over the last several weeks where it felt like Russell’s slump was so serious that his presence on the floor was hurting the team more than helping it.
But those conversations can at least temporarily halt after his performance against the Cavaliers. D-Lo put up 30 points on an ultra efficient 11-for-13 from the field. He also dished out 12 assists while knocking down four of his five three-point attempts. Needless to say, it was a masterclass performance from the Timberwolves’ point guard when he most needed one.
This outing came immediately after an awful shooting night in Memphis on Friday, where Russell scored four points and shot 25% for the game. The fact that he bounced back in such a big way and helped lead the Timberwolves to a huge win is extremely encouraging.
Minnesota will need consistent production from their floor general this year to be successful, and D’Angelo Russell’s huge night should allow Wolves fans to breathe a momentary sigh of relief.
Loser: Anthony Edwards
While Sunday night was a massive success for the Minnesota Timberwolves as a whole, there were still a few rough spots. One of the more disappointing outings came from Anthony Edwards.
Ant had another difficult night shooting the basketball, making just five of his 13 attempts on his way to 10 points. He also finished the game with a team-high four turnovers. While the rest of the Timberwolves starters found their shot against the Cavs (all shot at least 44%), Edwards simply couldn’t hit the bottom of the net most of the night.
This performance continued what has been an inconsistent season for Anthony Edwards so far. Just as quickly as he can put up 28 points on 63% shooting like he did three days ago against the Grizzlies, he can turn right around and look lethargic while barely reaching double figures in scoring.
It’s a frustrating trend for Timberwolves fans to see, especially when it was theorized in the offseason that Edwards could potentially make the “year three leap” that many stars have historically made on their way to a storied career.
It’s true that Ant is dealing with playing with new teammates with differing skillsets than he’s used to, so it does make sense that he’s taking time to adjust. But his frequent off games are still a bit concerning.
Winners: The Timberwolves’ big men
Minnesota’s Sunday night performance was highlighted by stellar nights from both of the Timberwolves’ starting big men. Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert each registered double-doubles, their first time doing so as teammates since joining forces.
As a team, the Timberwolves outrebounded the Cavs 47-40. The Wolves held a 36-24 edge in the defensive rebounding category, due in large part to 13 rebounds apiece from Towns and Gobert. While Cleveland was missing their starting center Jarrett Allen, credit must be given to the Timberwolves for making the most of their circumstances.
Gobert scored 15 points to go with two blocks and a steal as well. His steady production has been one of the more constant factors early in this chaotic Timberwolves season.
For Karl-Anthony Towns, it was yet another game where he looked like the best player on the floor for Minnesota. He scored an efficient 29 points on 68% shooting while knocking down half of his three-point attempts. Towns was third-best on the team with a +15 point differential.
It’s games like these where the Timberwolves’ vision for this star duo starts to become clearer. When Towns and Gobert are both thriving in their roles, there’s not many frontcourts in the NBA that can slow them down. If outings like this become more frequent, Minnesota will begin to look more like what we all envisioned in the offseason.