Saturday evening at Target Center was a carbon copy of the 2022 first-round playoff series between Memphis and Minnesota.
The Wolves played well as a whole and bottled up Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant for much of the game and were seemingly in control in the final frame.
But the Grizzlies dominated the offensive glass and Morant made the plays when they counted most as Memphis escaped with a 127-125 victory.
Morant hit a majestic floater to put the Grizzlies up two with 20 seconds to play. Minnesota generated nothing good on the other end, as Anthony Edwards missed a pair of 3-point attempts on the final possession to seal the Wolves’ fate.
Morant finished 5 for 19, but scored six points in the decisive quarter. For the Wolves, the loss spoiled a night in which two of their wings delivered in a massive way as Memphis controlled the interior.
Jaden McDaniels played elite perimeter defense while scoring 21 points on 9 for 13 shooting. Donte DiVincenzo flirted with a triple double, finishing with 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
But it wasn’t enough to counteract Memphis’ rebounding advantage. The Grizzlies corralled a gaudy 21 offensive rebounds that led to 25 second-chance points. Minnesota also committed 19 turnovers that led to 27 points off turnovers.
Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 33 points and eight rebounds. Zach Edey had eight points and nine boards in just 19 minutes.
“You’re not going to beat many good teams if you give them 25 more shots,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said.
Not even on a night where the Wolves played some of their best offense of the season, hitting 57 percent of their shots from the floor and 41 percent from deep. The Wolves had 37 assists. Six players scored in double figures. But still the offense dried up down the stretch when it mattered most, while Memphis was able to lean on its star guard on the other end.
The Wolves led by six with fewer than five minutes to play, but were out-scored 14-6 over the final 4 minutes, 30 seconds.
Originally Published: January 11, 2025 at 9:47 PM CST
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