Anthony Edwards didn’t care that the Timberwolves trailed by 11 in the first half. He didn’t care that his team was shooting 3-of-16 from three-point range before halftime. At some point in the third quarter, something clicked—and when Ant turns it on like that, there’s not much any team can do about it.
Edwards finished with 41 points Tuesday night at Target Center, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Memphis Grizzlies 117-110. It was his ninth 40-point game of the season, which ties him with Luka Doncic for the most in the NBA this year. The “MVP!” chants that rained down in the final minute weren’t just crowd noise. They felt like a statement.
Timberwolves Fight Through a Rough First Half
The first half was ugly. Memphis came out sharp, Jaylen Wells was cooking for 15 points before the break, and the Grizzlies pushed their lead to 11 at one point. Minnesota looked disjointed, cold from deep, and frankly outplayed for most of the opening 24 minutes.
Wells finished with 19 points on the night, and Cedric Coward chipped in 15 off the bench in what was a genuinely encouraging performance for a Grizzlies team that’s been inconsistent all season. Memphis went into halftime leading 62-57, and if you were watching, you wouldn’t have been crazy to think an upset was brewing.
But then the third quarter happened.
Minnesota locked in defensively to start the second half. The Timberwolves clawed back, eventually tying the game at 72-all in the third. Then Edwards converted a layup to put them ahead 74-72—and Minnesota never looked back.
His fourth quarter was something else entirely. Thirteen points, three three-pointers, and the kind of take-over performance that separates superstar players from everyone else. He went 15-of-29 from the field, 7-of-13 from deep, and 4-of-4 from the line. He also had five steals. That’s not just a good game. That’s an MVP-caliber night.
Fresh off being named Western Conference Player of the Week, Edwards showed exactly why that honor was deserved.
Julius Randle and Ayo Dosunmu Provide Crucial Support
Edwards wasn’t alone. Julius Randle gave the Timberwolves a reliable second option all night, posting 23 points and 11 rebounds. He wasn’t always clean—five turnovers is too many—but his ability to get to the line (9-of-12 from the stripe) and make tough mid-range shots kept the offense functioning during stretches when Edwards needed a rest.
Ayo Dosunmu, who has quietly transformed the Timberwolves’ pace since his acquisition, added 14 points off the bench. There’s something different about how Minnesota plays when he’s on the floor. Edwards himself acknowledged it post-game, admitting Dosunmu forces him to play faster than he prefers—because when Dosunmu is pushing the pace, Edwards wants the ball in his hands every single possession.
That urgency is contagious.
Timberwolves Win Fourth Straight, Grizzlies’ Late Run Falls Short
Memphis made it interesting late. A 12-2 run in the final minute cut the Minnesota lead to four, and for a moment, the Target Center crowd got a little nervous. Coward, who was outstanding all night, kept finding ways to score. But the Timberwolves held their nerve, made their free throws, and closed it out.
Final score: Timberwolves 117, Grizzlies 110.
Minnesota has now won four straight and seven of its last eight. They’re sitting at 39-23, firmly entrenched in fourth place in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves also clinched a winning home record for the fifth consecutive season Tuesday night—a milestone that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.
As for Kyle Anderson, who rejoined the Wolves one day after being released by Memphis, he played 13 quiet minutes with two points. It was a subdued homecoming, but a homecoming nonetheless.
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