NBA: Timberwolves bring the offense as the Nets falter in Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota - The Minnesota Timberwolves had too much firepower for the shorthanded Nets as they came away with the win against Brooklyn on Sunday.
The T'Wolves beat the Nets 136-125 in a high-scoring affair to make it three wins in their last four games.
Brooklyn ended their road trip by splitting their four games away from home 2-2.
Both squads were shooting almost lights-out right from the start, as they played to a 37-36 score, with the T'Wolves inching ahead after one quarter.
The Nets then seemed to lose their touch, getting outscored and falling into halftime with a 72-62 deficit.
The momentum never really shifted, and despite outscoring the T'Wolves in the third quarter, Brooklyn didn't manage to take the lead.
In the end, the home team comfortably handled everything the Nets threw at them and walked away with the win.
The player spotlight
Minnesota’s second-year small forward Anthony Edwards was the high scorer for his team on Sunday night.
Edwards came into this matchup as the T’Wolves’ second-leading scorer with 22.2 points per game. The 20-year-old did not disappoint and was also dangerous from long-range as he shot 50% from behind the three-point line.
Edwards finished the game with 8-for-17 shooting from the field including 4-for-8 for three-point range, a team-high 25 points, four assists, and two steals.
The big picture
The Nets managed to deal with Durant’s absence since their superstar forward went down with an MCL injury on January 15. Kyrie Irving had been settling back in well and James Harden was taking things up a notch, but a dose of reality must set in now.
While Irving might’ve stepped up again and led the Nets with 30 points against Minnesota, it still wasn't enough and in the long run, he's still only able to play in Brooklyn’s road games, due to his vaccination status. That's eight matches in which Steve Nash will have extreme roster headaches.
Durant is still weeks away from returning, which means the Nets have no choice but to hobble forward as best they can.
On Tuesday, the Nets will be back at home to host the Lakers while the Timberwolves are on the road to take on the Trail Blazers.
Cover photo: imago/Icon SMI