A few weeks ago, as Timberwolves forward Naz Reid was navigating an early-season slump, he talked about how he had to do all of the little things — playing defense, making hustle plays, rebounding — to snap himself out of it.
So it was fitting that Reid’s winning three-pointer in the Wolves’ 109-106 victory over the Clippers on Saturday night at Target Center came as a result of an offensive rebound.
After Jaden McDaniels missed a midrange jumper with the score tied at 104-104, Reid got his hand on the ball and tapped it out to Anthony Edwards. The Wolves then had one of their best sequences of offense on an otherwise sluggish night at that end of the floor.
“You’re not really in that position a lot, especially when you get the chance to and you gotta have all the … you know the word … to make the shot and take the shot,” Reid said.
Edwards swung the ball to McDaniels at the top of the key, and McDaniels found Mike Conley in the corner. Conley drove the lane, hit Edwards, who swung it to an open Reid in the left corner in front of the Wolves bench. He buried it for the final three of his 19 points off the bench.
“I just took my time, there were a few people on the bench calling my name,” Reid said. “It was fun to be in that position in that moment, so it was cool.”
Reid had nine rebounds, including one off a missed McDaniels free throw earlier in the fourth. That was part of a 19-5 run that helped the Wolves wipe out what was an 18-point deficit.
After going up nine, the Wolves held on despite an off night from Edwards, who had 15 points on 3-for-11 shooting. The Wolves again came out disinterested in the first three quarters and turned it on late when they had to for their fifth consecutive victory.
