Timberwolves fall to star-less Bucks

By Jace Frederick, Pioneer Press – February 12, 2025

Monday’s loss in Cleveland was certainly understandable for the Wolves.

Minnesota is missing three of its top seven players. Cleveland is one of the two best teams in the NBA.

But Wednesday’s 103-101 loss to Milwaukee? That one was inexcusable.

Anthony Edwards delivered one of his worst performances of the season, going 10 for 33 from the field, including a missed step-back three at the buzzer to seal the defeat.

“He just was backing up, like shuffling his feet, so. I went with the shot that I’m the most comfortable with,” Edwards said. “I tried to get to the middie the possession before and it went in and out. So, I took a shot that I was comfortable with. I thought it was going in.”

The problem was the defender Edwards is referencing is Kevin Porter Jr., who doesn’t have the physical capabilities to stay in front of a player like Edwards. It was one of a plethora of poor decisions for the 23-year-old guard, who took one difficult shot after another when other options were available.

The guard attacked the rim, dribbling around multiple Milwaukee defenders, for and and-1 bucket with just a shade under four minutes to play, and then never sniffed the paint again.

Asked if he thinks he should adjust his game on a night when the 3-point shot isn’t falling—he went 4 for 17 from deep against Milwaukee—Edwards responded, “For what.”

“I mean, I ain’t been working for no reason. I’m not fittin’ to try, like, ‘Ah, I ain’t making no shots. Let me try to put my head down and go to the rim.’ For what? It’s going to go in. It just didn’t go in tonight. We’ll be alright,” Edwards said. “I mean, I missed a bunch of layups tonight. I missed a bunch of everything, but yeah. The layups, the middies, I got to make those to try to get my trey ball going, you know, when it’s not falling. But I’ve just got so much faith in it.

“Like, you know when you work on something, like you work on typing up reports or something, you know what I’m saying? That’s how I feel about my trey ball. That’s how I feel about any time I shoot the ball. Anytime the ball leaves my hand, if I can see the rim, I think it’s going in. So, I live with everything that happened tonight.”

Milwaukee was without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, its two star players. That left the Bucks short on shot creation. But you don’t need to score often when your opponent also struggles to put the ball in the bucket.

Down the stretch, Milwaukee got its buckets by attacking Minnesota within the first few seconds of the shot clock, before it could get its defense set.

Frankly, Minnesota was never ready when it needed to be Wednesday. Turnovers plagued the Wolves’ opening of the game, which helped Milwaukee build a double-digit advantage. The Bucks led 36-24 after the first quarter.

Minnesota pulled itself back into the game on the defensive end in the second quarter, but could never really get over the hump.

Naz Reid scored 22 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota, including a triple that put the Wolves up two in the closing minutes. Rudy Gobert added 20 points and 14 rebounds. Terrence Shannon Jr. had 11 points, six assists and five rebounds as the rookie provided a spark off the bench.

But every time Minnesota did anything, Milwaukee found an answer, often in transition. Apple Valley product Gary Trent Jr. paced the Bucks with 21 points off the bench.

The Wolves will look to head into the all-star break with a little momentum, which it will need to find Thursday against Oklahoma City.

“Tough one. Tough one,” Gobert said of Wednesday’s loss. “We didn’t have a great start, but we battled back in the game, made a lot of really good plays to be in position to win the game. A lot of things to be upset at. We let that one get away.”

PHOTO: Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) works toward the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr