Anthony Edwards put on a dazzling performance on Sunday night, scoring 41 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves secured their eighth consecutive victory by defeating the Utah Jazz 128-102. The Timberwolves, who are now entrenched in a battle for playoff positioning, showcased impressive teamwork, with Jaden McDaniels contributing significantly with 20 points and 12 rebounds and Donte DiVincenzo adding 11 points and 7 assists.
For the Jazz, the struggle continues; they have now lost nine games straight, with Collin Sexton leading their scoring efforts with 22 points. Walker Kessler also made his mark with 15 points and 19 rebounds, and Lauri Markkanen added 16 points to the tally. Unfortunately, the team faced challenges without two of their top three scorers—guard Keyonte George, who is out with a foot injury, and forward John Collins, who has been sidelined due to an ankle issue. This combination of setbacks and 22 turnovers led to their downfall.
The Timberwolves' win is remarkable considering their last encounter with the Jazz resulted in defeat, with Minnesota missing key players due to various issues, including suspension and injury. This win marks the fourth-longest winning streak in Timberwolves' franchise history, trailing only behind the record streak of 11 wins set during the 2000-01 season. Coach Chris Finch also celebrated his 200th win with the Timberwolves, achieving this milestone in just his 356th game with the organization.
Highlighting his performance, Edwards scored 19 points within the first eight minutes of the game, displaying offensive prowess early on. His impactful gameplay also saw him surpass Andrew Wiggins to become third on the Timberwolves' all-time scoring list, now with 8,731 career points. He sits behind only Kevin Garnett and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Edwards achieved exceptional shooting accuracy as well, hitting 16 of 27 shots including five three-pointers throughout the game. Following their successful outing, the Timberwolves are set to face the Indiana Pacers on Monday, 2025-03-17, as they look to add another victory to their streak.
Meanwhile, the Jazz are preparing for their match against the Chicago Bulls on the same day. Markkanen, who has been making strides for the Jazz this season, became the franchise’s 10th-leading three-point scorer with his 512th made three-pointer, surpassing former All-Star Deron Williams, who had 511. Markkanen also indicated his ambitions to climb higher on this list, targeting Mehmet Okur's tally of 517 and Darrell Griffith's 530 three-pointers.
This season, Markkanen has maintained decent averages, putting up 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game on 42.3% shooting from the field. During the loss against the Timberwolves, he managed to score 16 points, grab one rebound, and dish out two assists, making four successful three-pointers.
The future seems promising for the Timberwolves as they continue their fight for playoff positioning, all the more important as they are competing directly with the Golden State Warriors for sixth place within the Western Conference. The 2024-25 season is rapidly approaching its conclusion, and the results from these upcoming games will be pivotal for both teams as they strive for postseason opportunities.
