Anthony Edwards scored 19 points on 8 of 13 shooting in just 20 minutes and the Minnesota Timberwolves took down the Chicago Bulls 114-105 in the final preseason game before next Wednesday’s regular season opener against the Toronto Raptors.
Minnesota, a perfect 4-0 in the preseason, was shorthanded for the final exhibition contest, playing without three starters: Karl-Anthony Towns, Mike Conley and Jaden McDaniels.
McDaniels has been out the past week and change because of a calf strain, Conley was dealing with an illness and Towns was held out to rest a sore right knee, which the team described as right patella tendinopathy.
Towns’ knee shouldn’t keep him out for any regular season action. According to Jon Krawczynski, it “sounds right now like it’s just a precautionary thing” and he now has six days to rest up before the Oct. 25 opener against the Raptors.
McDaniels’ status for the opener is less sure.
“Wolves have said he will be evaluated next week in the run-up to the opener,” Krawczynski tweeted. “I think that means that yes, the opener is in question for him. He has been working out, so we’ll see.”
Edwards dominated despite playing only in the first half. He had 19 points, hit 2 of 4 from 3-point land and hammered home a thunderous dunk when he drove the lane and finished.
WATCH YA HEAD, AE5 IS COMING THROUGH 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Icm1qpLqMJ
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 20, 2023
oh, he's not playing fair. pic.twitter.com/G2hiGhJxFu
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 20, 2023
Edwards had just one assist but it was a beautiful lob to Rudy Gobert for a dunk.
ANT TO RUDY 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/Gl5l00izxP
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 20, 2023
With three starters sitting out, Minnesota had Shake Milton, Kyle Anderson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker join Edwards and Gobert in the starting lineup.
Milton had four points and four assists in 24 minutes; Anderson had five points, four rebounds and five assists in 20 minutes; and Alexander-Walker finished with six points and two steals but hit just 2 of 9 shots.
Naz Reid, who figures to be Minnesota’s first scoring option off the bench this season, had 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in 21 minutes.
Troy Brown flashed as well, hitting 4 of 5 from 3-point range in 23 minutes. He could figure to play quality minutes in his first year after average 24.5 minutes off the bench with the Lakers last season.
