Now in his seventh season as the longest-tenured member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Naz Reid started his NBA career on some bad Wolves teams. While Anthony Edwards is seen as the catalyst for the team’s turnaround as they are in the playoffs for the fifth-straight year, Reid deserves a ton of credit as well for his overachievements as an undrafted player.
Dealing with a shoulder issue that has clearly bothered him for months, Naz has shown a ton of grit, showing up every night and giving it his all. Game 4 was the embodiment of that, and now the Western Conference semifinals have turned into a best-of-three.
Naz Reid continues to show up despite shoulder issue
Ant-Man will receive the majority of the headlines for his 36-point effort in Game 4, especially since he is coming off a knee injury that was expected to keep him out much longer than he was sidelined. 16 of those points came in the fourth quarter as the Timberwolves evened the series at 2-2.
Also deserving a boatload of credit, though, for what he did in Game 4 (and throughout the series) is Reid. His Game 4 performance continues what has been a very strong Western Conference semifinals for the 26-year-old. His putback with 40 seconds left gave Minnesota a seven-point lead and allowed the Wolves to have the breathing room needed to close out the victory.
Taking advantage of a team minus the ejected Victor Wembanyama (who was tossed for elbowing Reid in the neck early in the second quarter), that was one of three baskets Naz had in the paint during the final 12 minutes. Reid also rolled his ankle in the fourth quarter but played through it.
After the game, Reid delivered an amazing quote that highlights his toughness: "Pain is just weakness leaving the body."
On the evening, Reid's all-around effort saw him total 15 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. It’s the third of four games this series where he has grabbed exactly nine boards.
Reid didn’t hit a 3-pointer in Game 4 after seemingly re-finding his stroke from outside, but he still left his imprint all over the game. There was a slick no-look pass in the fourth quarter to find Rudy Gobert under the basket for an and-one layup with three minutes left that gave Minnesota a two-point lead. Chris Finch had the trust in Reid to leave him in for the final 6:17.
In all four games this series, Naz has reached double figures in scoring. There are many reasons that he has become one of the most beloved figures in Minnesota sports, and Reid continues to add to those while playing through injury.
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