Minnesota’s win streak has turned into a full-team exercise, and Wednesday night was the clearest example yet. The Timberwolves rolled past the Mavericks 133-94 to run their record to 9-3 after stacking wins over the Bucks, Rockets, Pelicans and Jazz.
What stands out most is how many different players have taken turns driving the run while Anthony Edwards recovers from knee surgery. This hasn’t been one guy trying to fill his shoes every night. It has been a rotating cast stepping up in different ways, and that has kept Minnesota moving.
The backcourt pairing of LaMelo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu has been the biggest catalyst. Ball has grown more comfortable as the games have gone on with more of the offense in his hands since Edwards went down.
He’s scoring, setting up teammates and making better decisions with the ball instead of simply trying to fit into an attack built around Edwards. Against Dallas, that showed up again.
Dosunmu has been just as important, maybe more so. Over the first four games without Edwards, he scored 92 points, including back-to-back 26-point outings against New Orleans and Utah.
He’s been getting to the rim, finishing easy baskets, knocking down threes and creating offense for himself and others. That has made it harder for defenses to load up on Ball.
After the win over Houston, Chris Finch said Ball and Dosunmu can score at different levels, which gives Minnesota another answer when the offense bogs down. Their chemistry has also let both players stay aggressive instead of waiting around for someone else to take charge.
Minnesota’s defense has been the other major pillar of the streak. The Wolves have remained the best defense in the NBA, and that has allowed them to survive nights when the offense isn’t humming.
Utah managed only 100 points in Minnesota’s fourth straight win, and the Jazz opened the fourth quarter 0-for-9 from the field while going nearly four minutes without scoring. That stretch helped the Wolves turn a tight game into a comfortable one.
Dallas had even less success. The Mavericks shot 37% from the field and finished with 94 points.
Cooper Flagg, fresh off a 43-point game against the Pacers, was held to 12. Kyrie Irving, who has troubled Minnesota before, ended with 10.
The Wolves made it hard for Dallas to find clean looks all night.
That balance matters because Minnesota hasn’t needed to score 130 every game to keep winning. When the offense slows, the defense has been good enough to hold things together. When the offense explodes, like it did against Dallas, the game gets away from the opponent fast.
Bones Hyland has also played a major role off the bench. He scored 14 points in 13 minutes against Utah, including seven quick points in the third quarter that helped Minnesota create separation. Then he followed that with 24 points in 23 minutes against Dallas, hitting five of his six three-point attempts.
That kind of burst changes how Minnesota can manage its rotations. The Wolves don’t always need Ball or Dosunmu on the floor just to generate a shot. Hyland can check in, attack right away and swing a stretch of the game in a few possessions.
Jonathan Kuminga has become another useful piece because he can contribute in so many different ways. His scoring has helped, but his value goes beyond that.
Against Houston, he posted 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Against Dallas, he added 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, eight rebounds and two steals.
He’s been making hustle plays and bringing a level of effort that stands out.
The streak has also featured Rudy Gobert doing what he usually does on defense and the glass, while other players have stepped in whenever needed. That variety is what makes this run notable. Minnesota has not won these games the same way each time.
Against Dallas, it all came together. The Wolves outscored the Mavericks 36-17 in the third quarter, six players finished in double figures, and the game never got close again.
Edwards still matters most when the goal is the highest possible ceiling. That part hasn’t changed. But by the time he returns, he’ll be rejoining a team that has built confidence, given Ball more responsibility, gotten Dosunmu comfortable in his role, found bench scoring from different places and kept defending at the level Chris Finch wants.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Face A Pregame Injury Question Against The Bulls
The Timberwolves are back at Target Center on November 14 with a pregame injury question hanging over a matchup that already carries some early-season weight. Chicago arrives with three players on its injury report, while Minnesota has two names to monitor, leaving both sides to sort through availability before tipoff and adjust around the players who have helped drive each teams early statistical profile.
For Minnesota, the bigger concern is simply getting through the night with a clean rotation against a Bulls team that has shown enough across the board to make this a real test. The injury list gives the game an extra layer of uncertainty, and with both clubs carrying notable absences into the matchup, the final word on who is available could shape how the Timberwolves approach the opening stretch at home. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Is Still Driving The Wolves While Sidelined
Anthony Edwards may be stuck on the sideline for now, but he has not disappeared from the Timberwolves day-to-day rhythm. Since undergoing right knee arthroscopic surgery, he has stayed close to the team by attending practices and games, keeping his presence felt around the locker room and helping maintain the edge that has defined Minnesotas start without him.
The Wolves have handled his absence well enough on the court, going 6-2 and sitting near the top of the league in both defensive and net ratings. Even so, the bigger takeaway for Minnesota is how much Edwards still seems to matter beyond his own box score, with his communication and involvement giving the group a steadying voice while it waits for its star to return. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Are Getting An Unexpected Lift While Anthony Edwards Sits
Anthony Edwards absence has not knocked Minnesota off its stride nearly as much as anyone might have expected. The Timberwolves have kept winning at a similar clip with him on the floor and without him, and the bigger story has been the way the rotation has absorbed the loss. LaMelo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, Bones Hyland and Trey Lyles have all found ways to matter, giving the Wolves scoring, energy and enough defensive activity to stay afloat while their star waits to return.
Dosunmu has been especially important in the starting group, taking on Edwards spot and providing steady production game after game. Hyland has also given Minnesota a useful jolt in limited minutes, while Lyles and Ball have chipped in at key moments to keep the offense from stalling. For a team that expected to lean heavily on Edwards, the unexpected lift has been real, and it has created a new question for the Wolves as they move deeper into the season: how much of this stretch is a temporary survival act, and how much is becoming part of their identity? [Read more 🡒]