Timberwolves use big fourth quarter to rally past Toronto 128-126

TORONTO – With the trade deadline looming, and with the organization still in the mix to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Timberwolves team that took the floor against the Raptors looked like their minds were on everything except basketball.

Then the Wolves woke up in the fourth quarter of the 128-126 victory, their first over the Raptors in Toronto since 2004.

Anthony Edwards turned it up in the fourth quarter at both ends of the floor with 30 points to lead the Wolves, and had three steals in the fourth quarter.

Bones Hyland had a strong game off the bench with 20 points, while Jaden McDaniels added 19.

“Like I said before, man, it’s one of those, where if we want to do it, we’re really good, bro,” Hyland said. “Like, we’re really, really good when we play this type of way. Just got to be a whole team mindset and not just a two-, three-guys mindset. We all got to bring it every night. We can’t leave each other just out there.”

The Wolves won despite allowing Toronto to shoot 53%, 48% from three-point range, and despite shooting 14-for-25 (56%) from the free-throw line.

Brandon Ingram led Toronto with 25 points.

They were within 117-116 when Edwards drove to the bucket for a 118-117 lead. After a Scottie Barnes dunk for Toronto, Edwards got a steal and dunk to put the Wolves back ahead by one. Then Rudy Gobert got a steal and hit one of two at the line.

Edwards then hit a midrange fadeaway for a 123-119 Wolves lead.

“You gotta have go-to shots,” Edwards said. “That’s the most important thing. You can have all the dribble moves in the game, but you gotta have, like, a go-to shot, get to spots that you’re comfortable with. I worked on that all summer, getting to a spot that I’m super-comfortable with, no matter if it’s a heavily contested shot.”

The Wolves allowed more than 30 points in every quarter but the fourth, when they allowed 22.

Without Mike Conley around to take minutes, Hyland is now the primary point guard, and Hyland played like he had nothing to lose in scoring 20 points and getting seven rebounds. He had 13 points and six rebounds in the first half.

“I feel amazing. I ain’t gonna lie. I feel amazing, bro,” Hyland said.

Added Edwards: “You don’t want to put too much pressure on people. I don’t expect him to get 20 every night. I just expect him to just be himself. As long he be himself, he’s capable of going for 20 as long as he’s playing like himself every night.

Timberwolves-Raptors box score

Conley’s exit meant forward Johnny Juzang got some run in the third quarter off the bench. Finch had mentioned that Conley’s minutes wouldn’t necessarily all go to Hyland and that others on the bench could see time.

Juzang benefited from that against Toronto, while rookie center Joan Beringer wasn’t in the rotation. Juzang played two minutes toward the end of the third and didn’t score.

Before the game, Finch discussed how hard it can be on players to play during the trade deadline, specifically during a time of high roster uncertainty, like what the Wolves were facing in their attempt to trade for Antetokounmpo.

“Some of [the rumors], you just can’t get away from them,” Finch said. “You have to have a lot of empathy, really, with the players. You can’t change anything.

“[Wolves President Tim Connelly] and his crew do a really good job of communicating, being transparent, being there, answering questions, continually talking to the guys, just letting them know as things might change, or what’s real, what’s not. I think there’s a lot of that.