Ant Goes for 40, Sun Kissed Rudy Dominates, Same Third Quarter Issues
Minnesota jumped on Dallas early and looked like the better team by a mile.
Forty in the first quarter, the ball moving, defense flying around, Rudy cleaning everything up, Ant in rhythm.
Then the same thing we have seen all year started to creep in.
The pressure eased, the pace slowed, the intensity dipped. The Wolves have a habit of letting teams hang around, especially banged up teams. Instead of stepping on throats they drift, possessions get heavier, decision making slows down, and suddenly a comfortable game turns into something stressful.
This one did not collapse, but the warning signs showed up late in the second quarter and carried straight into the third.
Anthony Edwards Flipped the Switch
Ant had 40, but it was more than a stat line.
It felt like a mental shift.
After the game he said he saw Cade got 40 and knew he needed 40 too. That is the killer mentality we need from him. That edge, that competitive pride, that refusal to let someone else set the bar.
He got to his kill spots all game. Downhill with force, rising into pull ups without hesitation, taking the three with confidence. On the other end he looked locked in, competing, engaged.
When the Wolves started drifting late in the second and into the third, he did not drift with them. He stayed aggressive, stayed composed, and pulled the group back into structure heading into the fourth.
If he wants to be one of the greatest in the sport, this is the standard. The killer instinct, the two way effort, the demand for more.
This cannot be a special night. This has to be the baseline now. For his legacy and for this team to win championships.
Rudy Came Back Sun Kissed and Dominant
Rudy came out looking sun kissed after taking thirst traps on the beach during All Star break and then went straight to work.
He finished with 22 and 17, ten of those rebounds on the offensive glass.
Minnesota won the rebounding battle and scored 60 points in the paint, and Rudy was the reason. When the spacing was clean he sealed early, carved out space, and punished Dallas every time they failed to box out.
It was physical and it was consistent. Extra possessions, tip outs, vertical contests, second chances.
When he plays like that the structure holds. Shooters can space knowing misses are not wasted. Guards can pressure knowing the rim is protected.
He did pick up a technical that felt pretty weak in the moment. He will be out Sunday unless the league decides not to be soft and overturns it.
Naz Reid
Naz finished with 21 on 8 for 14 and hit four threes.
He went jelly on the handle, gathered, and threw down a violent dunk. I already ordered a poster printout to put in my expected child’s room.
He continues to stretch the floor and attack mismatches.
Defensively, the Randle and Naz pairing struggled in the third and fourth. Rotations were late and the back line was exposed. That group was on the floor during the stretch where the lead started to shrink.
When Finchy benched Randle and went back to Rudy and Naz, things tightened up. The rim protection returned and Naz could stay aggressive without having to anchor the defense.
Naz next to Rudy works, maybe even Joan and Naz deserves a look.
Julius Randle
Randle finished with 13 on 4 for 15 and five turnovers. He was benched late, and there was a reason.
In the third quarter the game started tilting when he was on the floor. The ball stopped moving, possessions dragged, and the defensive focus slipped. The lead shrank.
Then Finch put him back in and it immediately got worse. Two quick turnovers and then allowing an offensive rebound on the other end. That sequence nearly flipped the game.
That is not small. Those are momentum plays.
This team cannot afford empty possessions and missed box outs in closing stretches. Not when Ant is locked in, not when Rudy is controlling the paint, not when the structure is working.
Randle has talent. That is not the debate.
The debate is consistency, attention to detail, and whether he can fit into this identity instead of bending it.
Because stretches like that are how good teams turn wins into losses.
Minnesota deserves credit for not letting this one slip. In past games that third quarter stretch turns into a loss, this time they closed it. Credit to Finch too for growing balls and benching Randle in the third and late when the game was tilting. He trusted the structure, went back to what was working, and it stabilized. That matters just as much as the 40 from Ant.
