The Minnesota Timberwolves walked off their home court Wednesday night with a 116-110 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies-and the frustration was written all over head coach Chris Finch’s face. After the game, Finch didn’t sugarcoat it, calling it a “horrendous night offensively.” And honestly, he wasn’t wrong.
Without Anthony Edwards in the lineup-still sidelined with a lingering foot injury-the Wolves needed someone, anyone, to step up and spark the offense. But instead of rising to the occasion, Minnesota’s offense sputtered from the jump.
The numbers tell the story: 39.8% shooting from the field, just 29.5% from deep, and a shaky 70.4% at the free-throw line. Add 18 turnovers into the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for a rough night on the scoreboard.
Julius Randle led the Wolves in scoring with 21 points, but it came on a less-than-efficient 9-of-21 shooting night. Donte DiVincenzo chipped in 19 points, also struggling with his shot at 6-of-16 from the floor.
Rudy Gobert was one of the few bright spots-he finished with a double-double, dropping 16 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting while pulling down 16 boards. His presence in the paint kept Minnesota within striking distance for stretches, but it wasn’t enough to tilt the game in their favor.
Jaden McDaniels added 13 points, but it came on a cold 4-of-11 shooting performance. Off the bench, Naz Reid gave the Wolves a spark with 16 points and three triples, but he, too, struggled with efficiency, going 6-of-16 overall and 3-of-11 from beyond the arc. Outside of Reid, the second unit didn’t offer much help, which only magnified the absence of Edwards and the team’s overall offensive inconsistency.
This was the kind of game where you felt the impact of missing your star. Edwards’ ability to create his own shot and draw defensive attention often opens up better looks for everyone else.
Without him, the Wolves looked out of rhythm and out of sync, especially in half-court sets. The Grizzlies didn’t need to do anything fancy-they just stayed disciplined, took advantage of Minnesota’s miscues, and capitalized when it mattered most.
For a team with aspirations in the Western Conference, this kind of offensive performance-especially at home-raises some red flags. The Timberwolves have shown flashes of being a top-tier team this season, but nights like this underscore how much they rely on Edwards to be the engine of their offense.
Finch’s blunt postgame comments reflect a coach who knows his team is capable of more. The question now is how quickly they can regroup, especially with a tough stretch of games ahead. Because if they want to stay in the mix out West, they’ll need to find answers-and fast-when their star isn’t on the floor.