Takeaways: Shorthanded Timberwolves look all out of sorts in 135-108 loss to 76ers

Both the 76ers and the Timberwolves came into their matchup Sunday, Feb. 22, at Target Center down one frontcourt player because of injury (Joel Embiid, Naz Reid) and one because of suspension (Paul George, Rudy Gobert).

Philadelphia also came in having lost four in a row; the Wolves had won three in a row. But it was the Wolves who looked dazed and confused in a 135-108 loss.

The Wolves couldn’t defend without their anchor at that end of the floor in Gobert, while Reid’s absence due to lingering shoulder soreness caused them to lose some firepower and made them thinner as a team overall. That caused coach Chris Finch to turn to different lineup combinations, none of which ever really clicked.

“We was all out of whack today,” Anthony Edwards said of the different lineups. “We had Slim [Jaden McDaniels] at the 5, Julius [Randle] at the 5 sometimes. I was at the 4. It was crazy today.”

Tyrese Maxey outdueled his All-Star Game teammate Edwards with 39 points. Edwards had 28 points for the Wolves but also committed seven turnovers.

Philadelphia rookie guard VJ Edgecombe had 24 points and seven rebounds. Jaden McDaniels had 19 points while Julius Randle had 18. Finch said after the game Randle played despite being “pretty severely” sick.

The Wolves struggled in the first half with Randle and Joan Beringer in foul trouble, especially when Edwards was off the floor. When Edwards subbed out late in the first quarter, the Wolves were down 28-24. When he checked back in during the second quarter, they trailed 48-32.

The Wolves found life again when Edwards and then later McDaniels returned to the floor, and the Wolves stayed within shouting distance, pulling within 68-58 at the half.

The 76ers came into the game as the team with the worst net rating in the league in the third quarter ... and then won the third quarter by six points. Maxey had 13 in the quarter, including a bucket at the buzzer. He also had a dunk over McDaniels and Edwards — and he gave Edwards a mean mug afterward.

“He’s incredible, man. He already know he one of my favorite players to watch in the league. He dunked on me today, too. I don’t really like that,” Edwards said with a smile. “He played great, man.”

The Wolves never seriously threatened in the fourth.

Finch was upset with his defense for reasons that had little to do with Gobert’s absence due to another suspension for too many flagrant fouls. Namely, Finch was mad the Wolves kept closing out too short on open shooters. The end result was a 21-for-37 performance from three-point range for Philadelphia.

Finch also said the Wolves offense (21 turnovers) allowed the 76ers to get out in transition.

“Short closeouts, that’s not a Rudy issue,” Finch said. Playing in the crowd, handling pressure, turning it over in transition, getting back. None of that was Rudy stuff."

With Gobert suspended and Reid out because of a shoulder injury, Finch started rookie Beringer at center. When Beringer got in early foul trouble, T.J. Shannon was the first off the bench for his first action since Dec. 25. Shannon recently recovered from a foot injury.

Reid re-aggaravated shoulder soreness that affected him in January in a game at San Antonio, but it shouldn’t be an issue that keeps him out too much moving forward.

In the third quarter, Beringer didn’t start and Ayo Dosunmu started in his place. Beringer fouled out after playing 17 minutes.

BOXSCORE: Philadelphia 135, Wolves 108

NBA standings

Mike Conley played his first minutes since re-signing with the team after the All-Star break. Conley entered the game in the second quarter as the Target Center crowd gave him a standing ovation. In the third quarter, he was the first person Finch brought off the bench. He finished the night with 15 minutes, no points and four assists.

“Mike was great,” Finch said. “Competed on the ball, stood his guy up, gives you everything he got. Probably should have played a little bit more.”