Three Timberwolves players took advantage of their expanded roles in the team’s game against the Jazz on Thursday, Chris Hine of the Star Tribune writes. Malik Beasley, Jaden McDaniels and Jake Layman all gave a solid effort, but the team still lost 128-116 without Karl-Anthony Towns or Anthony Edwards available.
Beasley finished with 33 points on 13-of-25 shooting, while McDaniels (16 points and nine rebounds) and Layman (13 points and seven rebounds) provided respectable contributions. Minnesota struggled to contain Utah’s star players, however, also letting the Jazz shoot 16-of-39 (41%) from deep.
“He’s shooting at a high level from three and getting a lot of good looks and staying really committed to it,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said of Beasley, whose 33 points led all scorers in the game. “There’s no second-guessing his shot. He’s locked in. He’s been really, really good. Mostly it’s just his shot selection is leading to good shots.”
Here are some other notes from the Northwest tonight:
- Jazz star Donovan Mitchell will miss the team’s upcoming two-game road trip due to a lower back strain, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News tweets. Mitchell will stay in Salt Lake City and receive treatment. Utah plays in San Antonio on Monday and Portland on Wednesday.
- The Nuggets have reasons to be optimistic when Jamal Murray returns from a torn ACL, Mike Singer of the Denver Post writes. Denver has a championship-caliber roster on paper, but the team has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons. The club ranks sixth in the Western Conference at 15-16.
- Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic has improved from his 2020/21 Most Valuable Player season, Singer writes in a separate article for the Denver Post. In 26 games this season, Jokic has averaged 25.9 points, 13.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists, shooting 58% from the floor and 37% from deep.
IMO
Wolves can take down Lakers and become 8th seed
Lakers would be 9th seed at the end of season
Gotta a hold off Dallas and San Antonio to finish 9th. Not sure if they do that.
That’s for sure & it goes without saying that Jokic is playing even better than last year… if last year he was the unanimous MVP this year is just running away so much that they can just give him the award now!!!
Nah, it’s Curry.
Doesn’t crack my top 10, due!
You gotta do a lot better, improve!
Nuggets 15-16 and 6th in West. And they write about them as if they are a playoff team. The Lakers are 16-18 and 7th seed in the West. And they write about them as if they are imploding.
Shows you how the media is so inept. Most are self serving instead of giving you the truth. Or an honest take.
I like Denver. But the Porter thing will set them back. They better not blow it with Murray.
Do the Lakers have someone coming that will make the impact that Murray will for the Nuggets?
Thought my computer froze. Guess not ??
No KAT when we visit Minny. Better not blow this opportunity. Knicks have a favorable schedule coming up. If ever, they are going to right this ship. The time is now Minny, Detroit, OKC. January and new year. Can truly be New beginnings.