T-wolves remain confident after Grizzlies’ dominant win
For the first time this season, the Minnesota Timberwolves faced a Memphis Grizzlies‘ scoring avalanche that buried them while behind.
The Grizzlies delivered several backbreaking runs Tuesday in Game 2‘s 12496 win that helped tie the NBA playoff series at 1-1.
None were more critical than a 17-4 run to start the second half.
Desmond Bane bookended the run with a pair of layups. In between, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. made a combined three 3-pointers that helped the lead grow to 24 points and whip Fedexforum into a frenzy
While the Grizzlies regained control, the Timberwolves weren’t worried. In fact, they remained defiant heading home for Game 3 Thursday (6:30 p.m., Tnt/bally Sports Southeast).
“We stole one on their homecourt. We 1-1 now so I’m not worried, I hope my teammates aren’t worried,” Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards said. “We going back to Minnesota. They got to come to our house and play us twice at the crib. Our crowd is ... I put our crowd up there with the best of them. It’s their problem to deal with.”
It’s a problem the Grizzlies didn’t solve in the regular season. Minnesota won both games at the Target Center, including a 43-point victory on Nov. 20 that prompted a Grizzlies team meeting the following day.
Both Edwards and Karl-anthony Towns said they weren’t overwhelmed by the Grizzlies running away from them.
They expected it and now they’re eager to protect home against a team with the third-best road winning percentage in the NBA.
They’ll also be ready in case another scoring binge comes after the Grizzlies looked like their dominant selves again on both ends of the floor.
“We knew what they were gonna come with. We knew that after we went up here. We expect that kind of desperation and energy,” Towns said.
“They talked about it. Everyone in this room knows what they were going to try to do tonight. They got the win so ... it’s back to Minnesota.”