Timberwolves Fall Short Against Grizzlies: Breaking Down Crunchtime
The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered a heartbreaking 127-125 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night after leading by six points with just five minutes left to play.
The game was tight throughout, with the Wolves up by a point at halftime and four going into the fourth quarter, and with just a few minutes remaining, it still felt like a game that Minnesota would ultimately win, but late-game execution once again came back to bite the Wolves.
What Happened on the Timberwolves’ Final Possession?
With 18 seconds remaining and the Wolves down by two, head coach Chris Finch called a sideline out-of-bounds play designed to get Edwards the ball on the right wing. He missed a potential go-ahead 3-point attempt, but Donte DiVincenzo corralled the rebound and the Wolves maintained possession after the Grizzlies touched the ball while standing out of bounds.
After another Wolves timeout, Finch called a baseline out-of-bounds play that featured Anthony Edwards as the triggerman. Unfortunately, Julius Randle was pushed out further on the catch and there was a slight mishandle. Edwards opted to abort the play, which called for Mike Conley to come off a Rudy Gobert screen and spot up in the corner. Instead, Antr came to get a hand-off from Randle and ended up taking a contested three-pointer that missed the mark.
While it’s easy to question the play call or Edwards’ decision-making, the loss can’t be attributed to a single moment. The Wolves struggled with turnovers and allowed the Grizzlies to dominate the offensive glass, giving up 21 offensive rebounds, leading to an extra 25 shot attempts on the night.
Despite the loss, there were certainly bright spots. DiVincenzo had an outstanding performance with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. McDaniels also shone with 21 points on efficient shooting, and Randle put up a line of 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Wolves-Grizzlies matchup, tune into the Locked On Wolves podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Wolves Podcast:
• Individual player performances and standout moments
• Analysis of coaching decisions and rotations
• Preview of upcoming game against the Washington Wizards
