The Minnesota Timberwolves just dropped a 133-94 bomb on the Mavericks Thursday night, cruising to a five-game win streak *without* their top-5 guy, Anthony Edwards. Edwards, who was averaging a sick 33.3 points over his first four games and led them to a 3-1 start, is now sidelined for a brutal two months with a right knee injury. Most teams would be spiraling, but Chris Finch’s crew? They’re somehow looking even *better*.
Five Straight Wins?! What Is Happening In Minnesota
Seriously, after losing a player like Edwards, who everyone knows is a top-5 dude in the entire league, you’d think the T-Wolves would be dead in the water. But nah, they’ve been on a tear. Since dropping a game to another Western Conference contender, the Spurs, on October 31, they haven’t lost. November has been a straight up party, with wins over Milwaukee, Houston, New Orleans, Utah, and now Dallas. They’re doing this all without Edwards’ insane all-around impact, which is just wild to think about.
LaMelo Ball Is On Absolute Fire
When your main scorer goes down, someone has to pick up the slack, right? Enter LaMelo Ball, who’s been playing out of his mind. The dude put up a season-high 34 points in that recent win against the Bucks, and get this: he’s scored at least 20 points in *every single game* during this ridiculous win streak. He even had some sick highlights against Cooper Flagg, who’s got plenty of size on the defensive end. It’s not just Ball either. Bones Hyland, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaylen Clark, and Trey Lyles have all stepped up big time to fill that scoring void left by Edwards. Talk about a full team effort!
This Defense Is NO JOKE
But let’s be real, the biggest reason for this hot streak has to be Chris Finch’s defense. These guys are locking teams down. They held Miami to 106 points, Houston to 107, and just flat-out embarrassed Dallas with only 94 points on the board. We’re talking about teams with high-end offensive talent getting completely stifled. Before that Dallas game, the T-Wolves were only giving up 107 points per game, which was good for No. 6 in the whole NBA. But check this out: their 105.1 defensive rating was the *best in the league*. You can feel the pressure and activity from them, it’s relentless. Jaden McDaniels is bringing that ball pressure, and even LaMelo Ball, who isn’t exactly known for his D, is making multiple efforts to navigate and be ready to show. As Steve Jones tweeted, they’re turning stops into points. It’s wild because Minnesota usually has strong defenses with guys like McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, but to be *this* elite after adding Ball and losing Edwards? That’s just next level. Shutting down a talent like Cooper Flagg, who shot just 5-of-12 for 12 points on Thursday, perfectly showcased what this unit can do.
So yeah, the Timberwolves are out here defying all logic. A top-5 player is out for two months, and they’re not just surviving, they’re straight up *thriving*. LaMelo’s dropping buckets, and the defense is stifling everyone. Who knew losing your best player could look like *this*? The T-Wolves are proving they’re a force, even with their main guy sidelined. You gotta respect it!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply