Wolves dodge a disaster against Wizards with 41 points from Anthony Edwards

Chris Hine, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jan 13, 2025

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WASHINGTON – For three quarters Monday, the Minnesota Timberwolves looked as if they wanted to give an easy win away to the league-worst Wizards. They got their act together in the fourth quarter and staved off disaster for a 120-106 victory. The reason? Anthony Edwards turned it on.

The Wolves entered the fourth quarter ahead 82-79 before putting Washington away with a 20-7 spurt. Edwards had seven turnovers, but he finished with 41 points, scoring 20 in the fourth quarter. Julius Randle had 20 points and 10 rebounds while Rudy Gobert had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Edwards made a stepback 3-pointer and an arcing runner for a three-point play that gave the many Wolves fans in attendance at Capital One Center plenty to cheer about.

Kyle Kuzma had 22 for Washington, and Jordan Poole added 20.

Ugly first half

The question for the Wolves on Monday was just how much energy they would come out with against the worst team in the league. They seemed to match Washington’s penchant for careless play in the first half. Against the team with the worst defensive efficiency in the league, the Wolves put up 13 turnovers in the first half.

They still led 51-47, mostly because Washington also has the worst offensive efficiency in the league. Washington shot 40% in the first half while the Wolves shot 45%.

Edwards had an up-and-down half with four turnovers but also some acrobatic plays, such as an authoritative jam and an improbable three-point play he earned while falling down in the lane.

The Wizards' 8 for 21 mark from deep kept them in it in the first half. The Wolves led by as many as nine but could never go on a run that put the Wizards out of reach.

Wizards keep pace in the third

The scoring opened up in the third quarter as each team broke into the 30s, and the Wizards even took a one-possession lead at various points. The Wolves tamped down their turnovers in the third quarter — just three, two from Edwards. But their defense allowed the Wizards to shoot 54% in the quarter.

Five straight points from Mike Conley helped the Wolves regain an 82-79 lead headed into the fourth quarter. Poole had eight in the quarter for the Wizards.

Wolves pulled away in the fourth

All the Wolves needed to win Monday was a bit of a push in the fourth quarter. They got an 8-2 burst in the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer and layup from Edwards followed by a Nickeil Alexander-Walker 3. That put the Wolves ahead 96-89 with 7:47 to play.

Washington called timeout, and the Wolves had another 9-2 run out of the break. Edwards hit a 3 to force another timeout, and he was dancing and high-fiving with fans after hitting the shot. Crisis averted.

Shannon Jr. out 2-4 weeks

Rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. will be out two to four weeks because of a right midfoot sprain, the Wolves announced. Shannon suffered the injury while playing for G-League Iowa on Saturday and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. The team recently sent rookie Rob Dillingham to Iowa for a rehab assignment from a sprained ankle.

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