Minnesota Timberwolves used their energy coming off a triumphant win vs the Clippers on Tuesday to claim a 130-117 victory over the Grizzlies in Memphis. The Wolves scored 65 points in each half and outplayed Memphis for the most part.
Anthony Edwards was on fire during his first playoff game putting up 36 points on 12-of-23 shooting along with six assists. Edwards kept the visitors afloat during tough stretches of the game, while Karl-Anthony Towns added a massive 29-point performance. Anthony Edwards now holds the Timberwolves record for most points scored in a playoff debut, according to Basketball Reference.
Minnesota’s star center outplayed Steven Adams and Jaren Jackson Jr. with 29 points and 13 rebounds shooting 11-of-18 from the field. For the home side, Ja Morant did everything is his power scoring 32 points and dishing eight assists, but, the Grizzlies did not show their usual grind and hustle allowing many open shots. The Grizzlies allowed their opponents to shoot 50 percent from the field.
The physical toughness was not there for Memphis team, which saw the Wolves closing down the paint for Morant, who shot 20 free throws and made 16 of them. The rest of the team missed seven free throws with Memphis going 32-43 from the charity stripe. On the other hand, Timberwolves set franchise records for points in both the first quarter and the game.
They set the tone from the start of the game as the team, who had won a must-win game on Tuesday. They opened with a 9-2 run and led by as much as 13 before a 41-33 lead for the franchise’s highest-scoring first quarter in the playoffs. Minnesota led 65-62 at halftime, then outscored Memphis 32-30 in the third for a 97-92 lead going into the fourth quarter.
They cruised past Memphis in the fourth quarter with a 33-25 run to take an 1-0 lead in the series. Game 2 is Tuesday night in Memphis.
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