Anthony Edwards missed Sunday’s All-Star game in San Francisco due to a groin injury, or maybe it was a cold? Multiple things were reported in the immediate aftermath. The guard’s injury designation ahead of Minnesota’s bout in Houston was “questionable” with a hip ailment.
Fear not, Timberwolves fans. Edwards appears to be quite alright. And yet it still wasn’t enough for Minnesota on Friday in the Wolves’ 121-115 loss to the Rockets in their first game post All-Star break.
Edwards scored 37 points as he continues to be a thorn in Houston’s side. He dropped 41 against the Rockets in Minnesota just two weeks ago, and Houston was similarly at a loss for answers on Friday. The guard knocked down tough triples, yes, but the majority of his success took place on his jaunts to the rim, where Houston had no one to deter him.
Perhaps Minnesota thought it was playing in an all-star affair to open the game.
That was about the level of defensive effort and execution the Wolves exhibited in a first frame in which Houston scored a jaw-dropping 48 points. Minnesota was without Rudy Gobert, who missed the game with back spasms. Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo remain out for the Wolves, who did get Mike Conley back from a finger injury.
“They got hot from three early. We’ve got to pressure more, apply the pressure so they don’t feel comfortable to shoot those three, obviously,” Wolves big Naz Reid told reporters. “We let them be comfortable.”
Yet even with the poor early defense, the Wolves were only down 10 at quarter’s end, thanks to a strong offensive showing themselves.
Minnesota tightened up the defensive effort from there, surrendering just 20 points in the second quarter to trim Houston’s lead to one by halftime. It was a back-and-forth bout the rest of the way, with the two teams trading jabs.
But Houston (35-21) outexecuted Minnesota (31-26) in the closing stretch of the contest, as Houston generated good offense and Edwards developed tunnel vision in the face of multiple Houston defenders that led to a number of difficult shots and, as a result, misses.
Edwards scored just three points in the final frame, going 1 for 6 from the field. Edwards did not score over the game’s final seven and a half minutes.
Alperen Sengun had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Houston, while Jalen Green led the Rockets with 35 points. Minnesota hosts Oklahoma City on Sunday.
Reid had 22 points and eight rebounds for the Wolves on a night where he struggled with foul trouble. Jaden McDaniels added 21 points, six rebounds and two steals.
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