Takeaways: Timberwolves trip Blazers as Jaden McDaniels, Anthony Edwards combine for 63 points

Chris Hine, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Feb 25, 2026

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A game after both Rudy Gobert (suspension) and Naz Reid (shoulder soreness) weren’t available for the Timberwolves, the pair returned as the Wolves began a three-game road trip in Portland against the Trail Blazers.

It was good they had Gobert back, as he came up big in the fourth quarter of a 124-121 victory Tuesday night.

It was a chippy game at times — Portland’s Sidy Cissoko and Jaden McDaniels got technicals during a brief altercation that came after an Ayo Dosunmu flagrant oful on Cissoko in the fourth. Those double technicals came with the Wolves ahead 101-100 with 9:21 to play.

Gobert came up big down the stretch, and finished with 10 points and 19 rebounds. He nailed a pair of free throws off one offensive rebound then had another putback of a Anthony Edwards miss to put the Wolves up 115-109.

Edwards, who went cold after a strong first half, had a three rattle in and out for a 118-111 and then Jaden McDaniels punctuated the night with a high dribble slam to seal the win.

Edwards finished with 34 points on 11-for-27. McDaniels had 29 points on 11-for-15 with five blocks, three steals and six rebounds.

What it means

The Wolves bounced back from a lackluster showing against Philadelphia on Sunday with their full complement of players available. Gobert, who was suspended because of too many flagrant fouls for the 76ers loss, again showed his worth to the club in this stretch run.

The Wolves can ill afford to have him unavailable with their inconsistent defense. The next suspension he receives for a flagrant foul will be a two-game suspension.

How it happened

McDaniels had quite the first quarter for the Wolves on both ends of the floor: 11 points and four blocks. That set the tone for the Wolves to take a 33-27 lead after the first. Edwards got off to a good start scoring with eight points, but the Wolves finished the first with seven turnovers. Portland converted those miscues into 12 points.

The Trail Blazers got just 38% but those extra possessions allowed them to keep it close.

Julius Randle got into foul trouble in the second quarter and went to the bench with just three points in the first half.

The Wolves (36-23) went on an 8-0 run once Randle checked out, with a pair of turnovers fueling that run. Their lead got into double digits for the first time on the night. Edwards stayed hot through the second quarter and finished the first half with 25 points, which included four threes.

But foul trouble (Reid also picked up three) allowed the Trail Blazers to cut into the Wolves’ lead by the half. Portland (28-31) was 14-for-18 from the line in the first half compared to 6-for-8 for the Wolves.

Portland kept up the pressure in the third quarter, with Jrue Holiday scoring 12 as the Trail Blazers had their best shooting quarter of the night (65%). McDaniels matched Holiday with 12 in the period as the Wolves took a 96-94 lead into the fourth.

Holiday led the Blazers with 22 points while Donovan Clingan had 16 rebounds.

The lead went back and forth throughout the second half (15 lead changes in all) until the Wolves took control in the final half of the fourth.

Key stat

41 total rebounds for the Wolves, 19 of which came from Gobert.