Wednesday night was the Minnesota Timberwolves' fifth gamewithout superstar Anthony Edwards. That number is expected to rise significantly before he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery and returns to the floor.
Their 117-107 win over the Houston Rockets was their most impressive outing without Edwards thus far. It improved their record to 3-2 since he was sidelined.
The first four games shared a common theme: beat the teams they were expected to beat, and lose to the better ones (the Golden State Warriors weren’t seen that way at the time, but their win over Minnesota was their second straight, and the win streak is now at five). Beating a great Houston team changes that for the Wolves.
Rockets give Timberwolves first quality win without Ant
Entering Wednesday’s game, the Rockets owned the best record in the Western Conference at 7-1. They were among the league’s best on both ends of the floor after the first half-month of the regular season. Having Fred VanVleet return has paid major dividends after he missed all of last year.
Seeing the Timberwolves turn it on in the fourth quarter to secure the victory was a great sign after a tight first three. They played competitive basketball against both the Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs but couldn’t muster enough at the end to win either game.
Meanwhile, their first two wins without Edwards came against two league bottom-feeders. The Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks share a 1-7 record.
The Timberwolves’ depth would be tested without Ant-Man, and they needed their best bench player, Ayo Dosunmu, to step into the starting lineup. In the win against Houston, all nine players who saw time for Minnesota made an impact, and they were also without Terrence Shannon Jr. for the second consecutive game.
Yes, Rudy Gobert struggled at the rim, and it made its way across social media, but his defense remains superb as he kept Alperen Sengun in check.
A team needs more effort from everyone to stay afloat once its best player goes down. That's exactly what the Timberwolves showcased on Wednesday.
Upcoming schedule balances easier and more difficult games
It’s unclear when exactly Edwards will return for the Wolves, but the timeline is around two months. The schedule over the next month isn’t murderer's row, but it still includes tough games against the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and three meetings with the 6-1 Portland Trail Blazers.
At 6-3, the Timberwolves should be in a great place if they keep winning the games they are supposed to and play competitively against better teams while sometimes pulling them out.
If they do, Minnesota won’t feel compelled to move up the standings quickly once Edwards is back on the court.
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