If there were concerns that Anthony Edwards would endure a sophomore slump, the Timberwolves star obliterated them in the first 24 minutes of the season.
Edwards was one of several bright spots on opening night, scoring 24 of his 29 points in the first half as the Timberwolves smashed the Houston Rockets for a 124-106 victory.
The Timberwolves fully embraced Edwards as the focal point of the offense as Chris Finch allowed him to operate with the ball in his hands. The result was a white-hot performance that included six 3-pointers on the evening which brought the Target Center crowd into a frenzy.
Anthony Edwards told the Rockets to call a timeout after the made three. pic.twitter.com/euRe43GgXm
— Thomas Sullivan (@Yfz84) October 21, 2021
Minnesota was aggressive on the defensive end as well thanks to the effort by Karl-Anthony Towns. After revealing he watches videos of gorillas fighting to the death before games, Towns came out with a mean streak, pulling down 10 rebounds and recording a pair of blocks.
The effort on the defensive end created 23 Houston turnovers and more opportunities for the Wolves on offense. Towns scored a game-high 30 points and helped Minnesota put away the Rockets before they could even get into the game.
🛫 COAST TO COAST KARL 🛬 pic.twitter.com/19PR6dFQJr
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 21, 2021
But most positive development may have been D’Angelo Russell’s performance. The guard got off to a rocky start with three fouls in the first half but the Timberwolves pulled away thanks to what Edwards and Towns did in the first half.
When Russell was able to stay on the floor, he made up for lost time, knocking down four 3-pointers on the way to 22 points on the evening.
🌧 FORECAST CALLED FOR RAIN 🌧 pic.twitter.com/5oJ1pyalA7
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 21, 2021
The fact that Russell didn’t light the world on fire and the Timberwolves were still able to build a big lead showed they have plenty of weapons on the roster. That includes Malik Beasley, who had nine points off the bench and could also carry the team if needed.
Although the Rockets are projected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA, it was still an encouraging night. If the Timberwolves can turn in a complete effort like they did on Wednesday, they may be able to exceed expectations this season.
