Jace Frederick

4 days ago | inforum.com | Jace Frederick

The Timberwolves preached ball and body movement all week in preparation for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Lakers on Saturday. Yet none of either was evident over the first six minutes of basketball. The offense struggled mightily out of the gates, as Minnesota scored just seven points over the first seven minutes of action. The stagnancy needed to stop. Luckily for the Wolves, their pacemakers entered the contest.

4 days ago | twincities.com | Jace Frederick

The Timberwolves missed three of their first four 3-point attempts on Saturday in Los Angeles. They also missed their final three of the night. In between those stretches, Minnesota was a blazing inferno, hitting 20 of 35 attempts from beyond the arc to blitz the Lakers in Game 1. “I mean, they had great shots, honestly,” Lakers wing Luka Doncic noted. Indeed. Twenty-seven of Minnesota’s 42 3-point attempts were “wide open” according to Second Spectrum data available on NBA.com.

4 days ago | inforum.com | Jace Frederick

LOS ANGELES — Minnesota knew all week what approach it would need to beat the defense the Wolves were sure the Lakers would employ in this series. Los Angeles would clog the paint to cut off driving lanes, leaving several open shooters out on the perimeter. It was on the Wolves to knock the triple tries down. Anthony Edwards laid it out simply on Wednesday. “We all gotta be on the same page,” the guard said. “At this point in the season, it don’t matter who gets 20 points, 30 points.

4 days ago | sports.yahoo.com | Jace Frederick

LOS ANGELES — There they are. Mike Conley knows this team better than all. And he had an air of confidence when he delivered his opening remarks Tuesday about the first-round matchup with the favored Lakers. Advertisement“We’re a team that plays well when we’re looking up,” Conley said, “and fight our way, and claw our way up a hill.”That’s what the Timberwolves did Saturday night in Los Angeles. They fought, they clawed, they grabbed. They bit. And the Lakers were too stunned to bite back.

5 days ago | twincities.com | Jace Frederick

Everyone does well when everyone does well. True in life, true in team sports. While the NBA is littered with players pursuing their own individual dreams and goals, so often the path to everything everyone wants is simple — win. It’s no different for the Timberwolves, who have — as they’ve reiterated all season — eight starter-caliber players in their primary rotation.