Timberwolves exit Brooklyn with 105-90 victory

Chris Hine, Star Tribune on Apr 3, 2025

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NEW YORK — Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has said one of the things he admires about Rudy Gobert is Gobert’s approach to each game. How his professionalism and approach doesn’t wax or wane depending on the opponent. It’s a quality not every Wolves player shares, and that has resulted in multiple losses in games the Wolves should have won.

Thursday against Brooklyn had the makings of a trap game. Several players logged heavy minutes in a Tuesday marathon victory over Denver, then the Wolves boarded a four-hour flight Wednesday and played the feisty Nets, albeit a Brooklyn team that didn’t have a lot of key contributors.

But Thursday wasn’t going to be one of those head-scratching losses, and Gobert was a big reason why it wasn’t in a 105-90 Wolves win. As the Wolves struggled to score, Gobert, along with Anthony Edwards, provided enough offense most of the night. Gobert had 21 points and cleaned up on the glass with 18 rebounds. Edwards bounced back from an injury scare in the second quarter and returned in the second half to finish with 28 points. The Wolves have now won four in a row and the first two on this five-game road trip. Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker each had 13 points off the bench.

Brick city to start

Neither team had much interest in scoring in the first quarter, as they shot a combined 14 for 43. The Wolves had five turnovers and only six field goals. But they did hold a 19-9 lead with 2 minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the first.

But they didn’t close the quarter strong once Edwards rested after scoring eight. Brooklyn went on a 10-2 run to get within 20-19 by the end of the quarter. Edwards was one of the only players who could ripple the net, as he was 3 for 5. Nic Claxton was 3 for 3 for Brooklyn in the early going.

Julius Randle left the game late in the first quarter and walked under his own power down the tunnel toward the locker room. Randle came back in the second quarter.

Edwards injured, but returns

Edwards had to exit the game in the second quarter, and the Wolves held their collective breath.

After he hit a jump shot from the right corner, Edwards was backpedaling on the landing and appeared to step on Nets coach Jordi Fernandez as Fernandez was walking behind him. Fernandez called timeout and Wolves players went down the other end of the floor to check on him. Edwards needed help off the floor with 3:54 to play. He was 6 for 9 for 15 points by that point in the game, and the Wolves were ahead 38-30.

His teammates maintained the lead with him out the rest of the second quarter. Reid had seven of his nine first-half points in the second quarter, and the Wolves went into the locker room ahead 49-37. Gobert had nine points and 14 rebounds in the first half and contributed to the Wolves’ 12 second-chance points. Edwards was able to return in the third quarter.

Pulling away

The Wolves maintained a double-digit lead by the end of the third quarter but they were able to pull away in the fourth. With the Wolves up 10, Mike Conley and Alexander-Walker each found Gobert for easy buckets, and the Wolves were up 14, their largest lead of the night up to that point. They didn’t look back from there. The Wolves shot only 31% from 3-point range and had 17 turnovers, but they exit Brooklyn with a needed win.