Anthony Edwards scored 26 of his 28 points in the second half, Rudy Gobert had 17 points, 10 rebounds and tied a season-high six blocks, and the West-leading Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Memphis Grizzlies, plagued by injuries. Defeated by 118. – Thursday night 103.
The Wolves secured a victory with Naz Reid contributing 20 points, while Mike Conley added 17 points and 10 assists. In the fourth quarter, they outscored the Grizzlies 37-17.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 36 points and Luke Kennard added 18 for the Grizzlies, who started their eighth starting lineup combination in nine games this month and their lack of depth never sapped their energy. . But don’t let this overwhelm you. They put on a passing and cutting clinic against the league leader in scoring defense and dominated most of the game.
Santi Aldama, who scored 13 points off the bench, annoyed Gobert by staring at the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, talking trash and pressuring referees into calling fouls.
But Edwards came back to life with 14 points in the third quarter, at one point taking a chest-to-chest pass off the backboard, stopping traffic at the line for a slam that ignited an uproar among the spectators.
Conley scored the first eight points, burying a pair of 3-pointers from the wing, early in the fourth quarter as the Wolves went on an 11-0 run that gave them a 96-89 lead for good.
The Wolves (30-11) were on pace for 60 wins halfway through their schedule. The franchise record (58) was set in 2003-04 when they reached the Western Conference Finals, the only year they advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs. Their home record stands at an impressive 17-2, and they boast a remarkable 21-6 record against conference opponents, putting them on track to establish franchise records in both categories. The Wolves could lose their final 41 games and still finish with a better record than 15 of their first 34 seasons.
The Grizzlies defeated the Wolves in six games two years ago in an intense first-round series between two rising teams on their way to finishing in the conference’s top tier, but the Grizzlies have been sidelined ever since.
With Ja Morant out for the rest of the season after shoulder surgery and Marcus Smart (finger) and Desmond Bannon (ankle) out for more than a month, the Grizzlies are losing three of their top four scorers. Veteran center Steven Adams underwent season-ending knee surgery and key reserve Brandon Clark has been out since tearing his Achilles tendon more than 10 months ago. Derrick Rose (hamstring) and Jake Laravia (ankle), who are substitutes, are also unavailable.
The Grizzlies finished 6-3 under Morant, who began the season serving a 25-game NBA suspension for off-court conduct. They are 9-23 without him.