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The Texas back-to-back was fun, but in both matchups, a shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves team was edged in the last few minutes of each game. Minnesota looked to get back on track in a slightly later than usual 8 PM CT tipoff against the Utah Jazz in the place that Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Joe Ingles, and Johnny Juzang called home.
Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert were both removed from the injury list and are expected to play in this one, while Naz Reid is listed as questionable after exiting the Spurs game with a left shoulder injury on Saturday night. While they played well for stretches in each of the last two games, it is important that they get back to their winning ways that have been lacking since the calendar year flipped, as the West is always tight when it comes to the seeding race.
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Minnesota got off to a fast start early and used transition and fast break opportunities to get in a rhythm early. The Jazz kept fighting back and would not go away; however, they kept coming at the Timberwolves despite an early double-digit disadvantage.
The Timberwolves took their foot off the gas in the 2nd quarter, after leading the way for much of the first. The Jazz went blow for blow with them in the second. Rudy Gobert defended the rim well to the tune of multiple blocks, but Minnesota struggled a lot elsewhere on that end of the floor. Keyonte George was on fire in the first half, scoring 23 points and making difficult shots look easy. Ant led the way for the Wolves with 17 of his own, but Utah took a slight edge heading into the final 24 minutes with a one-point lead.
Minnesota used its pressure to force more Jazz turnovers and get open looks with numbers in transition. While the Jazz offense stayed strong to start the frame, with their cutting and spacing. The Timberwolves held steady and started to knockdown threes in short order, going on a 15-4 run. Ant finished the quarter by going on a heater – bumping guys off of him to get to his spot in the mid range. After trailing by one at halftime, Minnesota dominated the frame to take a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter.
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/jazz-127-timberwolves-122-death-054116767.html
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Publish date : 2026-01-21 05:41:00
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