If you took a glance at the Timberwolves’ schedule a couple weeks ago, their March 8 game at the Cleveland Cavaliers was a game you’d circle on your calendar.
The Cavaliers were second in the Eastern Conference standings (they’re now third) and the Timberwolves were the top team in the Western Conference. The Wolves and Cavs also have the best and third-best defensive ratings in the league, respectively.
Plenty of intrigue.
But as Friday’s game got closer and closer, it lost a little bit of its luster. Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was ruled out well ahead of the game after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection to address a left knee bone bruise.
Then they ruled out Evan Mobley (ankle) and Max Strus (knee).
Meanwhile, the Wolves lost Karl-Anthony Towns due to a meniscus injury that he’s reportedly going to undergo a surgery to address. Coach Chris Finch was ruled out just before tipoff, too, as he wasn’t feeling well ahead of the game. Micah Nori filled in.
Nevertheless, Friday’s game was just as good in its own right. Darius Garland put on a show for the Cavaliers. Naz Reid was a scoring machine off the bench for the Timberwolves. And 48 minutes weren’t enough to decide a winner.
In the end, the duo of Garland and Jarrett Allen were able to wear down the Timberwolves in a 113-104 overtime victory Friday night in Cleveland. The two combined for 67 points.
Rudy Gobert fouled out in regulation, and his shot-blocking presence was clearly missed in the extra session as Garland drove to the rim and Allen went to work in the paint. The two were also able to find their way to the free-throw line, where they essentially put away the game.
Reid put together a dominant offensive outing for the Timberwolves (44-20), pouring in a career-high 34 points. So it game as no surprise that Reid was the one able to put Minnesota up 97-96 with just over a minute remaining in the contest.
The Timberwolves even got a stop on the ensuing possession, but back on the offensive end, Gobert was called for an offensive foul, his sixth and final, after grabbing an offensive board. Gobert then picked up a technical foul, and Garland hit the free throw to tie the game for the Cavaliers (41-22).
Garland was looking for a go-ahead 3-pointer on Cleveland’s ensuing possession, but Reid blocked his shot to force a shot-clock violation and give the Timberwolves a chance for a game-winning attempt with 3.8 seconds remaining.
Anthony Edwards missed a jumper from the right baseline as time expired to set up overtime.
Final key stats
- Naz Reid: 34 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
- Anthony Edwards: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
- Jaden McDaniels: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
- Kyle Anderson: 10 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
- Darius Garland: 34 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds
- Jarrett Allen: 33 points, 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks
More must-reads: