The Minnesota Timberwolves continued their impressive March undefeated run with a convincing 128-102 victory over the Utah Jazz, led by Anthony Edwards’ dominant performance and marking a significant milestone for head coach Chris Finch as this marked his 200th win with the franchise, making him second in all-time wins among Timberwolves coaches.
“Hopefully, it’s just the beginning of a lot more. Proud of it,” Finch said about the milestone. “I want to keep stacking them up.”
Edwards exploded for 41 points on 16-of-27 shooting (59.3%), including 5-of-14 from deep (35.7%), in just 30 minutes.. The young star’s performance further solidified his place in Timberwolves history, as he recently learned he ranks third all-time in franchise scoring.
“I didn’t even know I was top five, that’s impressive,” Edwards remarked about his scoring achievement. His aggressive mindset was evident throughout the game, though he felt he could have done even more. “I wanted to go for 60 pts, but when you sit a little bit, you get kinda cold,” he explained, adding, “I missed 4 or 5 3s that I usually make in the 2nd, and that’s still on my mind.”
Edwards offered high praise for his coach: “As far as a coach, that’s the best relationship I’ve ever had with a coach throughout my basketball career. He lets his players play, he coach everybody, that’s the best thing about him he’s gonna coach everybody hard.”
Jaden McDaniels delivered a incredible performance with a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds, showcasing the all-around game that Edwards frequently praises: “When we play one-on-one he’s the best player in the gym, he’s everything we need.”
Coach Finch praised McDaniels’ invaluable two-way impact.
“I thought he was really good tonight, both ends of the ball, he’s becoming an ascending player. What I like is all the little things that don’t show up on the stats,” Finch explained.
“We’re on a little mission right now. All these games count. Just got to keep stacking,” McDaniels said, emphasizing the team’s focus.
Naz Reid provided support off the bench with 11 points and 9 rebounds, while Julius Randle added 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting, along with 3 rebounds and 4 assists in 19 minutes.
The Timberwolves’ recent success can be attributed to improved team chemistry following a pivotal team meeting in Phoenix.
“Either we going to come together as a team and push for the playoffs or we gonna keep looking for individual stats and accolades and not be a team and lose the games we supposed to win,” Edwards recalled from Finch’s message.
The Wolves’ defensive intensity was on full display, forcing 22 Jazz turnovers and recording 14 steals. Finch was particularly pleased with the team’s efficient performance
“Couldn’t have asked for anything better. Didn’t have to burn through a lot of the guys’ minutes, which is a good sign of a professional win,” the coach said.
As the Timberwolves continue their playoff push, Edwards summed up the team’s current mindset.
“We got our whole team back, everybody got the same mentality. We’re all locked in right now collectively.”
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