For just the fifth time in its franchise history, the Timberwolves are a 50-win team.
Minnesota reached the milestone Wednesday at Target Center, downing the 12-win Pistons 106-91. It wasn’t impressive nor dominant, as Minnesota slept-walked through the first 2½ quarters.
Still, the Wolves got the win. And doing that 50-plus times over the course of an 82-game NBA season is a mark of true consistency. And Wednesday was another reminder of where that consistency stems from.
It was a night where the Wolves were sluggish at times and the offense stalled on occasion. For instance, Detroit went on an 11-0 run that allowed the Pistons to gain the lead in a second quarter in which the Wolves hit just four of their first 15 shots.
The offense was never truly great. Minnesota shot just 31% from beyond the arc. But the remedy for a poor shooting night can be as simple as hitting the glass. Minnesota did that relentlessly.
Or, more accurately, Rudy Gobert did that relentlessly.
The big man grabbed five offensive rebounds that directly resulted in 13 second-chance points. Minnesota finished with 19 second-chance points to Detroit’s two, which proved to be the difference.
Because even when Minnesota struggles, Gobert’s size and physicality on the interior gives the Wolves a high baseline that prevents disasters from occurring.
It didn’t matter that Anthony Edwards scored just nine points on 4-for-11 shooting, or that Detroit guard Cade Cunningham went off for 32 points. Gobert is an eraser of many issues.
He was again dominant defensively, serving as the primary reason Detroit shot just 40% from the field, including just 17 for 33 in the paint.
Gobert finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds, while going 5 for 5 from the field.
Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels provided additional offensive support. McDaniels continued his recent scoring resurgence with 20 points on the strength of three 3-pointers, while Reid had 21 points and 10 rebounds as he continues to shine in his starting role.
Kyle Anderson added 14 points and five assists in just 23 minutes off the bench.
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