Naz Reid sparks Timberwolves to win over Dallas
Minnesota’s bench has been up and down this season, with some questions about where the offensive production would come from. But the answer to that query clarifies with each passing game: Naz Reid.
The reserve big man reminded everyone again just how dynamic he can be on any given night — and how capable he is of carrying a second unit or, on a bigger level, a team.
Reid did the latter Thursday, pouring in 27 points on the strength of seven triples — which tied a franchise record off the bench — to guide the Timberwolves to a 119-101 victory in Dallas.
“It was feeling good,” Reid said in his postgame on-court interview. “Last couple games, it hasn’t been to the level that it is, but that’s part of the game. You go through ups and downs, and it was going tonight. My teammates kept finding me, and I was able to find those shots.”
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Reid is Minnesota’s “best bench producer.”
“And does it in a lot of different ways. Obviously, he’s got a lot of confidence in his threes and has been shooting it really well this year, but he’s been doing a lot more than that,” Finch told reporters. “He gives us another gear in transition, his off-the-dribble game has been great, driving and kicking. So yeah, absolutely huge. It also helps us survive nights where it’s tough for Anthony (Edwards) and we’re missing a scorer there, so it couldn’t have happened at a better time.”
Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting in just 20 minutes, as Minnesota’s reserves provided a needed jolt after the starters were slow out of the gates. Minnesota trailed 19-4 early before rallying to trail by just four at the end of the first.
Edwards returned from his hip pointer injury. He struggled from the field — going just 3 for 19 — but did create for others to the tune of 11 assists. And more important, his return meant Minnesota (18-5) was back to full strength, a remarkable luxury for a team at this point in the season.
With a full deck with which to play, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch could employ his optimal rotation. That meant leaning on Reid, Alexander-Walker, Troy Brown Jr. and Kyle Anderson off the bench. That’s a strong second unit, one that thoroughly outplayed Dallas’ reserves Thursday.
In fairness to the Mavericks, they’re down four rotational players at the moment, most notably star guard Kyrie Irving. So Minnesota’s depth far outweighs Dallas’ at the moment. Still, the Mavericks (15-9) have perennial MVP candidate Luka Doncic. He carried Dallas for much of the night and finished with 39 points and 13 assists.
His production helped Dallas carry a one-point edge to the locker room at half. But Minnesota tightened the defensive clamps in the second half. The Timberwolves’ defense hasn’t traveled well against strong opponents this season to date. But over the final two quarters, the Wolves held the Mavericks to 16-for-38 shooting.
“Just having each other’s back. At the beginning of the game, they started off hot,” Reid said. “But we were relentless, and we just wanted to put our print on the game and show that we weren’t going to roll over. We’ve got guys that can guard multiple positions, we’ve got Rudy. … We just kept rolling.”
Related Articles
Defenses are supposed to travel. The Timberwolves’ hasn’t yet.
When Anthony Edwards returns, who’s in — and who’s out — of Timberwolves’ rotation?
Timberwolves’ six-game winning streak snapped in New Orleans
Jace Frederick: For the Timberwolves, the next month is one massive test
Wolves rout Memphis, improve to NBA-best 17-4