Let’s be honest, this one was the basketball equivalent of a sleepy Monday morning Zoom call before coffee. The Timberwolves walked into Brooklyn facing a winless Nets team, knowing the real test was looming 48 hours later at Madison Square Garden. It had all the makings of a trap game: disinterest, turnovers, foul trouble, and stretches of pure slop. And yet, when the final buzzer sounded, Minnesota had not only handled business but looked every bit the mature, playoff-hopeful team they claim to be, closing out a 125–109 win with an emphatic fourth quarter.
Keys to the Game: From Chaos to Control
The Wolves opened like they’d accidentally hit snooze three times. Six turnovers in the first five minutes. Nine in the first quarter. Finch looked ready to yank the entire starting five into the East River. Foul trouble only made things messier. Naz Reid picked up two early, Jaden McDaniels followed soon after, and suddenly the Wolves were running a lineup that looked like the end of a preseason game: Rob Dillingham, Jaylen Clark, and Terrence Shannon Jr. all sharing the floor. It was scrappy, if not exactly smooth.
But even through the clunk, flashes appeared. McDaniels looked like a man trying to make a point, scoring 14 first-half points before foul trouble dragged him back to the bench. Dillingham and Gobert showed legit chemistry on a gorgeous lob, and Finch’s experimental small-ball unit with Conley, DiVincenzo, Shannon Jr., McDaniels, and Reid actually provided some rhythm. The Wolves went into halftime up 63–59, a small miracle considering the early chaos.
In the third, Minnesota finally punched down low. They rolled up their sleeves and dominated the paint with 44 of their first 78 points coming at the rim. McDaniels was bullying his way inside before picking up his fourth foul (of course), while DiVincenzo kept things afloat with timely buckets. But after gaining an eight point lead at 76-64, the sloppiness and lazy defense returned. Then came the Nets’ counterpunch: Ziaire Williams nailed a four-point play, Brooklyn surged ahead 88–87, and you could practically hear Wolves fans muttering, “Here we go again.”
That’s when Julius Randle decided enough was enough. He put the team on his back, muscling through contact and setting the tone as Minnesota clung to a 91–88 lead entering the fourth.
The Clutch Fourth and the Masked Man’s Takeover
From there, it was all Wolves. Finch went back to his vets, Conley, DiVincenzo, McDaniels, Gobert, and Reid, and the difference was night and day. Minnesota opened the quarter on a 9–0 run, locking down defensively and cleaning the glass with grown-man intensity. The Nets looked rattled, and the Wolves smelled blood.
Donte DiVincenzo, the “masked man” filling in for the sidelined Anthony Edwards, turned this one into his personal statement game. He didn’t just hit shots, he led. Twenty-five points, nine rebounds, five assists, and the swagger of a guy who’s been waiting for this moment. Naz Reid chipped in with a dagger three to stretch the lead to 121-101. Brooklyn never recovered. Wolves by 20. Nets to 0–7. Curtain.
The Takeaway: Professional Win, Proper Tune-Up
This wasn’t pretty. But that’s the point, it didn’t have to be. The Wolves handled a team they had to beat, found scoring without Ant, and got real contributions from DiVincenzo, McDaniels, and Naz. They’re 4–3 now, back above .500, and setting up a true test at Madison Square Garden against Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks. Anthony Edwards has been cleared for contact, though not yet activated, so there’s a chance for a dramatic MSG return. If not, the NBA Cup opener against Utah on Friday looms as a more likely target.
Big picture? These are the games good teams quietly stack while waiting for the stars to come back. Handle your business. Don’t give life to bad teams. Build rhythm. Minnesota did exactly that. And for one night in Brooklyn, the Wolves looked like a team ready to grow up.