How sweet it must have been for Nickeil Alexander-Walker on Thursday at Target Center. With Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels sidelined with injuries, the 25-year-old seamlessly stepped into the role of top wing for the Timberwolves.

And Alexander-Walker came through big time, finishing with 20 points, seven assists, five steals and two blocked shots. Oh, and he also drew four offensive fouls. He was a spark plug and a conductor and, at times, the best player on the floor.

Delivering such a performance on any night in the NBA is satisfying for a player. To do it against a team that not only traded you nine months earlier, but often left you on the bench during your tenure there? That’s downright delightful.

There were 26 games last season during his time with the Jazz, a rebuilding team, in which Alexander-Walker either didn’t play or played fewer than five minutes. And on Thursday he was running them off the floor.

“It’s one way to prove your value. I think I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m happy for the way it went, I’m grateful for the way it went, and it felt good for it to be against them,” Alexander-Walker said. “You try not to make it personal, because you want to come out the same way against every team. But I’m human at the end of the day, so it still feels good to win.”

An afterthought in Utah, Alexander-Walker is now vital to Minnesota’s success. He’s the No. 3 wing on what is looking more and more every day like a championship-contending team. And, when Edwards and McDaniels are unavailable, Alexander-Walker consistently proves himself capable of handling even more.

His physical, relentless defense makes simple tasks like dribbling or passing the basketball a rigorous chore for opponents. And his offensive game continues to evolve. He knocked down four three-point shots Thursday while also doing the bulk of the playmaking.

“It’s fun to watch him play. He gives us a ton of juice. When he keeps it simple offensively, he’s really, really good,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “He kind of has a habit of getting a little bit excited, and he wants to make a home run, spectacular play, but it’s been great. You can play him on and off the ball. He’s always shot the ball well, and I think that sets up the majority of his game. He’s playing with a lot of confidence for us.”

The excitedness was perhaps more present at the season’s outset. Alexander-Walker was a postseason revelation for Minnesota last spring. Then he was a major contributor for Team Canada over the summer. It’s likely Alexander-Walker pressed a bit at the start of the season to continue to deliver such performances, even in smaller minute loads.

But any early-season struggles, which never negatively impacted his defense, are in the past. Alexander-Walker said he’s “starting to feel comfortable and confident.”

“It’s starting to slow down. I’m not really pressing,” he said. “I think not really paying attention to how I was doing really helped me tonight, and just focusing on trying to win the game.”

That’s a newfound philosophy for the wing.

“Best way to put it is you drive a car, you don’t look at the rearview. You can’t drive only looking at the rearview mirror. Once I heard that, it really stuck with me,” Alexander-Walker said. “Because now you’re just focused on what’s to come, and it’s a lot less pressure and you don’t feel like you’ve got to make the perfect play, to be perfect.”

Alexander-Walker also praised Finch, and the Timberwolves at large, for allowing him to play through mistakes. That has given him confidence and freedom to be himself on the court, which has been evident in some of the highlight-reel passes in transition he has made of late, from behind-the-back dishes to off-the-backboard lobs.

“Being in the present is really resonating,” Alexander-Walker said. “I think it’s just fun at the end of the day. Now that I don’t have to feel that added pressure, I’m just playing the game that I love and those are moments you dream about, getting the crowd going.”

And doing a lot of winning in the process.

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