The faster the Minnesota Timberwolves adjust to life without four-time All-Star Anthony Edwards, the longer they will remain in contention near the top of the competitive Western Conference standings.
Central to that adjustment is injecting more pace into their offense, a necessity to help offset the loss of Edwards’ 33.3-point-per-game average due to knee surgery expected to sideline him until late December.
The Timberwolves made strides while beating the Milwaukee Bucks 112-100 on Monday, a win that followed three losses in four games. Their next chance for improvement comes Wednesday in a road tilt against the Houston Rockets.
“We’ve been emphasizing it even more so,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Sometimes, when you look at these pace numbers, you don’t have a clearer feel for what they’re measuring.
“But we weren’t running well off of defensive rebounding, and we’ve been playing good defense and making people miss. And when we’ve been able to get clean rebounds, we just weren’t running. So we’ve got to continue to find ways to put pace in the game.”
Three Timberwolves grabbed double-digit rebounds against the Bucks: Ayo Dosunmu (12), Rudy Gobert and Jonathan Kuminga (10 apiece). Dosunmu added 19 points and eight assists and paired well alongside LaMelo Ball, who scored 34 points and made six 3-pointers.
With Edwards sidelined for several weeks, the Ball-Dosunmu tandem needs to click for the Timberwolves. Ball recognizes how his partnership with Dosunmu can thrive.
“I like to play fast, and he’s faster than no other,” Ball said. “He’s like a track star out there.
“Whenever I see him in an open lane, I try to get him going.”
Efficient offense has defined the Rockets’ sizzling start to this season. But when the Boston Celtics forced them to show their defensive might, the Rockets proved they could rise to the challenge.
The Rockets limited Boston to 38.6% shooting in their 109-93 win on Monday. The contest resembled a rock fight for long stretches, with both teams struggling to generate consistent offense as they combined for 30 turnovers and 41 fouls. Boston and Houston both set a season-low for points.
The Celtics never held the lead, but the Rockets didn’t pull away until the final period. While timely 3-pointers helped, the Rockets’ defense paved the way to victory — in particular their ability to turn Celtics turnovers into transition opportunities.
Houston posted an 18-2 advantage in fast-break points, a deciding factor in a game that was hotly contested until the stretch run. The Rockets’ ability to run off turnovers and misses ultimately fueled a positive result that was anything but attractive.
“We really in the second half created a lot of turnovers,” said Rockets coach Ime Udoka. “They missed some shots, we got out and ran, and that’s what kind of broke it open. Our activity was pretty good when we did go to switching. I think we made plays on certain guys, and our scramble was really good.
“I gave guys kudos for that, for outrunning them to that extent. That’s what really helped break it open in the second half.”
