The Memphis Grizzlies won a game they thought they would lose against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the 104:95 win in Minneapolis, the visitors were down by 21 points, the hosts collapsed.
Minnesota Timberwolves (7) – Memphis Grizzlies (2) 95:104 (BOXSCORE), Series: 1-2
What an epic meltdown for the Timberwolves and what a furious comeback for the Grizzlies. Just before the end of the third quarter, the guests were still 21 points behind, only to score 21 points in a row and finally win the final section with 37:12 (!!!).
Sim Morant had problems for a long time, but he played until the second half and had the best plus-minus of all the players at +20. The point guard made a triple-double with 16 points (5/18 FG), 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but the best man in the final stretch was reserve Brandon Clarke (20, 6/9, 8 rebounds), Minnesota under the really angry boards. Desmond Bane was the top scorer of the guests with 26 points (8/19 FG) and seven threes converted.
Wolves hit just 3/19 of the field and 1/11 of the three-point line in the final section. Karl-Anthony Towns (8, 3/4, 5 rebounds, 5 blocks, 5 fouls) was not involved in the offense, instead the point guards shot Patrick Beverley (14, 5/13), D’Angelo Russell (22 , 9/21, 8 assists) and Anthony Edwards (19, 6/13, 7 rebounds) completely eliminated Wolves in the end.
The hosts started furious. In the first 15 minutes, the visitors suffered a run of 12:0 and 22:3 and were already 26 points behind at the start of the second quarter. Memphis seemed shocked by the grandiose atmosphere at the Target Center and couldn’t find any rhythm.
Minnesota, on the other hand, ran almost everything. The three-pointer dropped, Beverley Morant repeatedly attacked outside the dribble and gave the young guard two quick fouls. This went so far that Beverley presented the ball to himself across the board to a T-Mac-style tray.
Brandon Clarke kicks off Grizzlies comeback
On the other hand, Morant’s zone was also blocked – Towns already had 4 blocks at halftime – instead, the hosts forced Memphis to take three off unsafe shots. Jaren Jackson Jr.’s New Foul Problems (6, 2/6 FG) did the rest. And yet, the Grizzlies were back at -7 at halftime. Bane hit three straight triples in a 15-0 streak late in the first 24 minutes, with Dillon Brooks also contributing some plays. Wolves remained without a single point for the last 5:45 minutes.
However, the Grizzlies couldn’t keep the momentum going and instead Wolves put pressure on Morant, who made mistakes and invited Minnesota to easy points. The Grizzlies had just 4 points in the first seven minutes after the break, while the hosts had 17 thanks to Russell and Edwards.
After that, it was the Grizzlies’ turn again, who didn’t let Morant rest after the break. The point guard finally found gaps as Wolves fired from the 3-line and Towns went to the bench with 5 fouls. A 21-0 from the visitors tied the game eight minutes before the end. The Wolves’ attack continued to be vicious, but the Grizzlies cooled off again.
Instead, it was the hurried plays that gave Memphis the advantage. Brandon Clarke was the standout here, who broke Wolves’ neck with offensive rebounds in the finals. Such a rebound finally started the Dagger, when Brooks did 102:92 for downtown guests with 1:17 minutes to go and left stunned Wolves fans behind.
Grizzlies vs. Wolves: The series at a glance
| Match | date | Time | home | far away | result |
| 1 | april 16 | 9.30 pm | Memphis Grizzlies | Minnesota Timberwolves | 117:130 |
| two | april 20 | 2:30 am | Memphis Grizzlies | Minnesota Timberwolves | 124:96 |
| 3 | April 22nd | 1:30 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Memphis Grizzlies | 95:104 |
| 4 | April 24th | 4 hours | Minnesota Timberwolves | Memphis Grizzlies | – |
| 5 | april 27 | 1:30 | Memphis Grizzlies | Minnesota Timberwolves | – |
| 6* | April 30th | to be defined | Minnesota Timberwolves | Memphis Grizzlies | – |
| 7* | 1st May | to be defined | Memphis Grizzlies | Minnesota Timberwolves | – |
*if necessary