Not many teams are capable of beating one of the league's top teams while their best player is sidelined. And even fewer teams could do so in a game where their second-best player shot 3-of-14 from the field. However, that's exactly what the Minnesota Timberwolves did on Sunday night, toppling the Boston Celtics 102-92 in one of their more impressive wins of the season.
It was a collective scoring night for the Wolves, who were led by Bones Hyland (23 points), Jaden McDaniels (19 points), and Ayo Dosunmu (17 points). Perhaps more importantly, the Wolves' defense set the tone with their physicality from the jump. Their isolation defense was especially impressive and crucial in containing Boston's offense. Holding a high-powered Celtics' offense to under 100 points is far from an easy task; this feat highlights what the Wolves' defense looks like when it's firing on all cylinders.
This game is yet another reminder of the Timberwolves' complementary talent (on both ends of the floor) and why they have such a lofty ceiling.
The Timberwolves have numerous scoring threats
The Wolves' success has never solely been built around one player. Nevertheless, at times, I felt like the Wolves had lost the plot and made everything too Ant-centric this season. That's not a slight against Edwards; he's a top-five-level player, and the offense should (mostly) run through him.
Simply put, though, Minnesota's all-around talent is too good for it all to be on Ant's shoulders, and this recent stretch without him is a great reminder of this.
Dosunmu (19 ppg, 8 rpg, 5.5 apg) and Hyland (20/2/2.5) have been two standouts in this recent four-game stretch without Edwards. And to think, when this team is fully healthy, both players will come off the bench, and Naz Reid is arguably the league's best sixth man.
While McDaniels and Julius Randle are inconsistent scorers, at their best, they look like All-Star-level players. This, paired with having one of the league's best movement shooters (Donte DiVincenzo), makes the Timberwolves a difficult offense to game plan against, especially when they're moving the ball.
The Wolves are also playing at a faster pace than in years past, ranking within the top 10 in pace. Sunday's win is another example of how this pace uplifts the team, as they poured in 22 fastbreak points. For a team that's built its identity around defense, it's advantageous to create easy opportunities on the other end of the court. Dosunmu and Hyland have been instrumental in helping the Wolves' double down on this style.
The Timberwolves' defense is still elite (when they're locked in)
Speaking of defense, the Wolves are easily one of the more talented teams on that end of the floor. I'll admit they haven't been shown it at all times this season, with off-ball attentiveness being problematic.
Regardless, they don't have many players you can target on the ball, which is vital to defensive success in the playoffs. The Celtics game is a perfect example of this. Boston's offense is built around hunting mismatches and exposing weak defenders, but they couldn't do that against Minnesota. And of course, Rudy Gobert is an elite rim protector.
Making another deep playoff run in a conference headlined by the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs will be a challenging task. Nonetheless, with Anthony Edwards and a well-rounded supporting cast, you'll always have at least a puncher's chance.