Julian AndrewsWeb Editorial AssociateTwitter
The Wolves picked up a massive victory on Monday night, setting up a must-win showdown against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. We’re working on plenty of content for that game, but let’s pause for just a minute and look at yesterday’s game not as a number in the win column, but as a basketball game. Here are three things I noticed:
Closing the door
Through three quarters, the Grizzlies wouldn’t back down. Every time it seemed like Minnesota was about to put them away for good, Memphis hit a few shots in a row and was right back in it. But in the fourth quarter, the Wolves locked up on defense, holding the Grizzlies to 19 points on only six field goals in the period. In the Wolves’ final game of the regular season on Wednesday, and in a potential playoff series, their ability to win will be directly tied to their ability to prevent opponents from getting easy baskets. It’s encouraging to see Minnesota put their foot down—even against a team that doesn’t match up with them talent-wise. They’ll have to do the same thing Wednesday against a far better Denver team.
Inside KAT
Karl-Anthony Towns has justifiably developed a reputation as a player capable of scoring from anywhere on the floor. His ability to shoot from three adds a dimension to his offensive game that makes him incredibly difficult to guard. Towns did not attempt a three-pointer against Memphis. It’s hard to say whether this was an adjustment by the Memphis defense, a result of the lineup changes with Jimmy Butler returning, or Towns realizing he had a hole in the middle to fill with Taj Gibson being out. Whatever the case may be, his lack of outside shooting did not stop Towns from being effective. He scored 24 points on 78.6-percent shooting and grabbed 18 rebounds. Towns might be an ideal modern offensive big man, but he’s more than capable of going old-school on you. The Grizzlies learned that lesson the hard way.
Returning the favor
I mentioned that the Grizzlies didn’t allow a three-point attempt from Towns. Throughout the game, however, the Wolves gave Memphis a taste of their own medicine. The Wolves only allowed five made three-pointers on 18 attempts (27.8 percent). That’s tied for their fewest three-pointers allowed all season, and it was one of their best in terms of opposing three-point percentage as well. The three teams at the top of the Western Conference—Rockets, Warriors, and Blazers—all shoot a ton of threes, so if the Wolves make the playoffs, their ability to control the arc will be crucial. Let’s hope this is a start of a trend for Minnesota.