Sometimes it’s hard to tell if Jaden McDaniels intends to be funny. He’s a mysterious man on a perplexing team. Regardless, he matter-of-factly stated that the Minnesota Timberwolves would win Game 2 after letting Game 1 slip, and they delivered on Monday night.
“Every game you go into, it’s trying to win and just knowing what we need to do better at and knowing that we had a lot of things we could do better and exploit them,” McDaniels said when a reporter asked why he was confident the Wolves would win Game 2. “We did a lot more this game, and that’s what gave us the win.”
Knowing what we need to do better and knowing that we had a lot of things we could do better are carrying a lot of weight in that answer. After losing 116-105 in Game 1, despite multiple chances to take the lead, the Timberwolves won Game 2 119-114 by playing a polar opposite game.
The Wolves took an early lead in Game 1, then lost the second quarter 39-29. In Game 2, they lost the first quarter 39-25, then won the second quarter – wait for it – 39-25. Julius Randle had two assists in Game 1; he had six in Game 2. Expanding on that, they moved the ball more effectively in Game 2, while Rudy Gobert locked down Nikola Jokic. It became a winning formula, even after they entered foul trouble and settled for bad shots in the first quarter.
“We needed somebody to get to the paint, play with some force. We were settling way too much to start the game,” said Chris Finch. “Once he kind of broke the paint, and we were able to get the ball moving a little bit, Ant started going, and we started getting there a little bit more.
“That’s what we gotta do, especially when our shots were not going in to start the game. Once we got good ball movement, the shots started to drop as they tend to do.”
Anthony Edwards (30 points) and Julius Randle (24) drove the offense. However, the improved ball movement and better shot selection allowed Donte DiVincenzo (16), Jaden McDaniels (14), Bones Hyland (13), and Naz Reid (11) to make meaningful contributions. Once the Timberwolves began finding better shots and attacking the rim, they started to exploit Denver’s defense.
“Go after Jokic, Jamal – all the bad defenders,” McDaniels said, explaining Minnesota’s offensive strategy. “Tim Hardaway, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, the whole team. Just go at them.”
Again, it’s hard to tell if McDaniels is expressing competitive fire, trying to be funny, or just stating what he sees as fact. He deadpanned the response, as though it were a hackneyed statement most athletes use to avoid antagonizing the other team.
McDaniels later doubled down on the sentiment.
“They’re all bad defenders,” he stated on no uncertain terms. “They don’t got people that can defend the rim. If he is there, we’re still more athletic than them.”
Beyond speaking plainly when other athletes would avoid controversy, McDaniels is expressing something unique for a 6-seed that’s playing a fringe contender. He’s saying that the Wolves are in control.
When the Timberwolves were down early in the first quarter, it was impossible not to think that they had missed an opportunity to steal Game 1. No series is over until the home team loses, but the Wolves probably had to steal one in Denver to advance to the second round.
Strangely, they took Game 2 after falling behind early in the first quarter instead of Game 1, when they built an early lead. Now, they’re in the getaway car, peeling out loudly instead of trying to make a stealthy escape. Finch is criticizing the officials. Edwards swore so often in his press conference that he might get a call from the FCC. McDaniels said that all of Denver’s players suck on defense.
The Timberwolves are pulling off a brazen heist. They lollygagged through the regular season, hoping to flip a switch in the playoffs. The Wolves also blew chances in Game 1, only to snag Game 2 after building nearly a 20-point deficit. And they’re doing it in broad daylight. Er, well, at 9:45 pm Minnesota time – but on national television.
Call it cavalier. Call it unwise. Whatever it is, the Timberwolves are doing this in a way only they can. They’ve robbed the bank and upset the authorities. Now, Jaden McDaniels has stomped on the gas. That’s probably appropriate, given they’ve got everyone’s attention.
The Wolves may be a mercurial 6-seed with multiple injured stars. But we know one thing about them now. They’d rather burn out than fade away.
