Timberwolves roll over Jazz and safely into NBA playoffs

Chris Hine, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Apr 13, 2025

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MINNEAPOLIS — It was a good thing for the Timberwolves that the NBA rescinded the technical foul Anthony Edwards received in Friday’s game.

As Edwards’ teammates struggled to find a groove against a tanking Utah team, Edwards put the Wolves on his back in the third quarter Sunday at Target Center and broke open what became a 116-105 win for the Wolves.

The Wolves clinched a top-six seed in the playoffs and were awaiting other results in the Western Conference to see where they land.

Edwards had 18 of his 43 points in the third quarter as he turned a one-point Wolves lead at halftime into a 13-point lead by the start of the fourth. He calmed a lot of nerves in Target Center as the Jazz hung around for too long through the first 30 minutes. Edwards became eligible to play Saturday after the league rescinded the technical he received Friday against Brooklyn, and that infraction would have meant a one-game suspension for Edwards had the league not reversed it Saturday. Edwards provided one of the final blows of the night when he converted a four-point play out of the left corner in front of the Wolves bench to put the Wolves up 113-95 with 5 minutes, 28 seconds to play.

The Wolves were cold from 3-point range most of the afternoon, but Edwards lifted them with 7-for-18 shooting from deep, and he passed former teammate Malik Beasley for most 3-point shots made this season. Donte DiVincenzo was 4 for 8 from 3-point range. Rudy Gobert had another strong effort to buoy the Wolves against a bad team with 19 points and 17 rebounds.

DiVincenzo puts Wolves ahead

The Wolves led 30-24 after one quarter thanks to strong starts from Gobert and DiVincenzo. The Jazz didn’t have much of a matchup inside for Gobert, who again controlled the action in the post and on the glass. He had six points and five rebounds in his first shift.

DiVincenzo came off the bench and hit his first three 3s of the night, as the Wolves led by as many as nine in the quarter.

Utah hung around early thanks to shooting 6 for 14 from 3-point range as the Wolves defense missed a few assignments and left some shooters open. Utah shot just 3 for 9 from two-point range in the first quarter.

Utah keeps it close

The second quarter was ugly, as the Wolves went cold from the outside. They missed their first six 3s of the quarter. The only players who hit a 3 for them in the first half were DiVincenzo and Edwards. The rest of the team was 0 for 10. That allowed Utah to take the lead at various points of the second quarter, as Brice Sensabaugh went 4 for 7 from 3-point range. Gobert was up to 12 points, 10 rebounds by the half. There was some nervous energy in the building before Nickeil Alexander-Walker forced three turnovers on the final three Utah possessions of the first half. One of those led to a layup for Gobert, who put the Wolves ahead 50-49 headed into the locker room.

Edwards puts Wolves on his back

With his team low on energy and vibes coming out of halftime, Edwards took it upon himself to provide both in the third quarter. He first got out in transition and attacked the bucket to push the Wolves’ lead to nine, largest of the game to that point. It finally crept into double digits as Edwards hit a pair of 3s. He had 18 in the quarter and the Wolves led 90-77 entering the fourth.

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