It may not be enough for them to be a playoff team directly, but what a great season the Timberwolves are having. With virtually no one counting on them, Chris Finch’s boys have steadily progressed throughout the course to currently be one of the fittest teams in the NBA; not in vain last night they shredded the Blazers (124-81) to add their fifth consecutive victory.
Such a streak has served them to settle in seventh place in the Western Conference with 37-29. However, it is difficult for them to go further, since they are two and a half games behind the Nuggets (sixth), and both these and the Mavericks are experiencing a great moment in the game. Be that as it may, the head coach of Minnesota is more than satisfied with what they are building.
“It is an exceptional city in the sports field. We just have to give them a reason to keep coming back to see us. This is a team that a lot of people like to watch play… It seems that something is growing here and we have to continue building on that », he expresses.
As we said, the meeting itself had little history. The Wolves won the break by an overwhelming 61-34 and in the second half the distance continued to grow; so much so that Karl-Anthony Towns only played 24 minutes; yes, he gave him time to go until he had 27 points and 13 rebounds. In addition, he had the collaboration of Malik Beasley’s 18 points (he started last night due to the absence of Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell), as well as the double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds that Naz Reid contributed from the bench.
“That’s what makes us keep pushing, that emotion that the fans transmit. You can even talk to us at the bank, we listen to you. We may not say anything, but we hear you. We definitely appreciate your support,” explains Reid.
Brandon Williams, the positive note
In a really tough season for Portland, rookie Brandon Williams is the best news of late. Last night, in his sixth NBA game, this boy from Arizona had 27 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals. It was the best performance of his short career and his fifth straight game with at least 10 points, making him the first Blazers rookie to do so since Damian Lillard in 2012-13. Little else can be highlighted from Portland’s poor game, as its head coachChauncey Billups.
“I sat in front of this microphone a couple of nights ago. Obviously we lost the game, but I felt good about what we did. and I felt good with us. I felt good about our effort. I felt good about how hard we played, how hard we competed. Obviously, today I have a completely different feeling, “says the coach.
(Photograph by David Berding/Getty Images)