Minneapolis — D’Angelo Russell just rescued timberwolves From those that would have done damage to those that are struggling toronto raptorshis three-pointer bombardment served as the ringing alarm for the team’s clock radio who couldn’t wake up on the second night of back-to-back games.
He inadvertently realizes why his name is so interesting when he describes the tingling that runs through his body as a left-handed rainbow arcs toward the pot of gold at the bottom of the basket. Did. NBA Trading deadline is approaching. Russell can drain teams with casual turnovers and poor defense, or drive them with clutch 3-pointers and pinpoint his passes.
When I’m making shots, I mean, I’ve been doing that for a while. After winning 128-126, he said. “I can be cold and really cold. I know how the basketball gods have their ups and downs.
He was there both Thursday nights. Russell scored his nine points, missed five of six threes, and in his first three quarters he recorded two turnovers. Desperate for stops and executions on the offense, Russell started the fourth with a turnover and the Raptors pushed their eight-point lead to 14 with 10 minutes remaining.
The wolf was dead. All season, they’ve been a team that’s shown little gut fortitude to come back from a fourth-quarter deficit, returning home at 4 a.m. Thursday after conceding a winning game. There was a built-in excuse. run away in denver before night falls. Then came the boom.
Russell scored on a driving layup and hit a pair of 3s to make the score 122-113. When the third fell off the left flank, the target center erupted, as did the Wolves’ defense.
Uno, Dos, Tre🥶 pic.twitter.com/LuMzXGndO8
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) January 20, 2023
The Timberwolves gave the Raptors, who ranked 29th in three-point percentage (32.9) and 28th in overall field goal percentage, shooting 59 percent from the field and 57 percent from deep (21-12). allowed. Three-quarters of.
so Jaden McDaniels, Anthony Edwards And the Wolves sat down, fueled by a cheering crowd and D-Lo’s surge. Minnesota held the Raptors to 17 points in the fourth quarter and just four in the final 7:34, producing a comeback victory that only slightly weakened their blown lead in Denver on Wednesday.
Russell’s fourth 3 made the score 124-119, and Edwards added a big step back of his own to equalize before Russell’s go-to rip-through move. Fred VanVleet I put him on the line with 9.9 seconds remaining. He sank both and OG Anunoby missed a chance to score his 3 at the buzzer. When it was over, Russell scored 16 of his 25 points and hit all four 3s to swoon the Raptors.
It was enough to drive the veteran Kyle Anderson Conjures images of Will Smith yelling at Martin Lawrence In “Bad Boys II”.
“‘I’m going to shoot like this from now on!’ When he’s hitting shots like that, I think that’s the Law we know and the Law we love.”
In 22 games since December 1st, Russell has made 49.8% from the field, 42.0% from 3 and 93.1% on free throws, making it a hallowed 50/40/90 club.That’s exactly what the wolf needed, especially after Karl-Anthony Towns At the end of November, I collapsed from a strained calf.
So the question becomes: Do the Timberwolves really want to trade him?
Russell settled into an off-the-ball, attacking role in an attempt to give Edwards more opportunities to run the show. As a result, Russell is one of his famous shooting runs over his eight seasons in the league, and the Wolves will try to ride the wave as long as it lasts. Russell’s credibility from the perimeter has been critical for a team lacking in shooting and needing to get back into playoff conversation.
Since acquiring him in a deal with golden state 2020 has seen highs and lows.When he lit the fire, like he did on Thursday, like he did Philadelphia last seasonas he did in play-in game In April you can see breathtaking beauty. The 3-second pull-up in transition, the pick-and-roll with a defender on the hip, the elbow way to reach his jumper, and the soft touch weaponize him when he finds that groove.
McDaniels, who has 18 points and seven rebounds, said, “Knowing he’s likely to double in the end gives us all confidence.” I feel free to play because I know I can get him back and he will drop the shot.”
Russell’s shot didn’t just give the offense more momentum, it also seemed to energize the defense.As the game approached, Edwards sank his teeth into the Raptors. Pascal Siakam And two turnovers in the fourth quarter held him to two points on 4-for-1 shooting. Anderson said he volunteered Siakam, who is having an All-Star season with the Raptors, at some point in the fourth time Edwards looked tired. Edwards shook him off, wanting to end the fight.
“We have to do this because he can be a defensive weapon,” said manager Chris Finch.
McDaniels already does. With Edwards handling more on-ball duties against Toronto, he was free to roam. He searched for blocks, swallowed rebounds, and used his long arms to hold off the little Raptor on the rim. He also made 4 of his 7 3’s and this season he’s shooting from deep 40.4% on 3.1 attempts per game, but he’s doing better on defense. He says he is proud to be there.
“It’s probably better to lock someone up,” McDaniels said. “I know I shoot all the way through the game, but I like to screw people’s nights up when other players want to stop shooting.”
Get out of here! ️ pic.twitter.com/FfdpEHTqla
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) January 20, 2023
As great as Russell was in the fourth quarter Thursday, the Wolves have seen him when he’s gone wrong. In his first three quarters, he went 1-for-6 from his 3rd, recording two turnovers and four assists in 22 minutes. The night before in Denver, Russell had a poor turnover, shooting a corner three off the side of the backboard in the final minutes as the Wolves missed a five-point lead. He was benched at the end of Game 6 of his series against the playoffs. memphis He was so ineffective that Finch finished the game without him again this season. This is largely due to a lack of effort on defense.
I typed into 👊 pic.twitter.com/UzHO6DdSi3
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) January 19, 2023
Russell also Rudy Gobert In the pick-and-roll game, fans wonder if a more traditional point guard would be a better fit for the upcoming Timberwolves.
Russell is entering the final season of his contract and the Timberwolves are in some way financially trapped. He’s earned his $31 million this season. If he leaves in free agency this summer, the Wolves are over the salary cap and cannot spend the same amount to replace him. There are only intermediate level exceptions.
Russell may not be a $30 million player right now, but his talent is undeniable. The Wolves could try to reach some kind of contract extension with him, similar to when he signed. Patrick Beverly To the one-year add-on last February. However, there are few signs at this time that indicate a realistic possibility.
“You either take advantage of me and my abilities, or you steal opportunities with me.” Russell told Yahoo Sports in December. “It’s as easy as that.”
If not someone who can take over the game like Russell did against the Raptors, the Wolves could consider trading him to keep his salary slot. Miamiof Kyle Lowry and in Utah Mike Conley One of the names mentioned in NBA rumors that’s always thirsty, but it doesn’t appear to have a deal near completion.
The market doesn’t look particularly hot for Russell, but on nights like Thursday, playoff teams could seize the chance to bet on players who qualify for legitimate crunch time. Other teams could move players on multi-year contracts and take over expiring contracts as a means of creating cap space this summer.
Whatever the Timberwolves do, it’s looking to compete this season. Utah With a first-round pick and then three more picks from the Gobert trade through 2029, there’s no incentive to tank. They have his 23-24 record, which ranks him seventh in a disorganized Western Conference. Due to all the struggles and frustrations in the first half of the season, they are 1 1/2 games out of the 5th seed and the franchise has his players out for two months.
“The locker room mentality is great,” Finch said. “Right now, regardless of who’s in the lineup, the players are playing hard and giving us chances to win. That’s all we could ask for. There are some. There were stinks, but that’s normal, and a night like this certainly makes up for them.”
celebrate yourself.
family. 💙 pic.twitter.com/gNP1OKHaLo
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) January 20, 2023
Maybe they think of themselves as floor generals off the beaten track and soaring up the conference ladder. Perhaps they think that Russell’s poor game — poor turnovers, defense and shooting — is making him unreliable going forward and prompting action.
Or maybe they looked at what he did on Thursday night, looked at the trade market conditions and decided there weren’t any players out there who could hit the high notes when Russell was locked in. I don’t know. Mistakes are infuriating.
The February 9 trading deadline is just around the corner.
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(Photo by D’Angelo Russell: Matt Krohn / USA Today)
