Takeaways: Timberwolves do just enough to slip past Bucks

The Timberwolves are nothing if not predictable.

Two nights after picking up their best victory of the season against the defending champion Thunder, a team they rarely lack motivation to play, the Bucks came to town without former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Wolves’ tendency to play to the level of their competition reared its head again, but they leaned on a pair of veterans, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley, to get them through the night in a 103-100 victory.

“It happened so many times when we win a big game, a big, emotional game and then we play a team with not the same record and we don’t come in with the same intensity,” Gobert said. “We were prepared for that.”

But it still took a strong second effort to overcome a 16-point deficit early in the third quarter. Gobert had 11 points and 18 rebounds, which put him over 10,000 rebounds for his career, while Conley returned from a four-game absence to spark the ball movement and offensive rhythm the Wolves were lacking on a night they missed their first 13 three-point attempts against both Milwaukee’s man and zone defenses. Anthony Edwards led the Wolves with 24 points but shot only 7-for-24.

The Wolves went on a 23-2 run as coach Chris Finch tweaked his lineup in the third quarter, with Conley playing for the injured Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid subbing in early for Julius Randle.

“Just needed to change it up,” Finch said. “That lineup just wasn’t working. So I just wanted to change it up. Go with Naz out there and that’s it. Sometimes you got to do that.”

Conley helped the Wolves generate good ball movement after a choppy first half against Milwaukee’s zone defense, which caused the Wolves problems at times last season. He had six points, six assists and five rebounds. The 38-year-old returned from a four-game absence because of right Achilles tendinopathy and said he only thought he might play eight minutes. He ended up playing nearly 24, and the Wolves needed what he brought.

Conley said he was still shooting layups just moments before the second half started when he learned he would be starting in McDaniels’ place. It has been a challenging season for Conley as he has adjusted to fluctuating minutes off the bench. Finch said after the game that part of that was because the team wanted to give other players some run while preserving Conley. The rotation could consolidate further, Finch said.

“You just got to have your mind set on trying to help whenever that time is, and keeping your body right and ready,” Conley said. “That’s what I pride myself on, just always trying to stay ready. Regardless of if I play a little bit or a lot. It’s been crazy.”

With his 18 rebounds Sunday, Gobert crossed 10,000 for his career. The game operations staff acknowledged that achievement with an announcement in the first quarter, and the crowd gave Gobert a hand. Gobert had 7,119 of those rebounds over his nine seasons with the Jazz. He has 2,897 with the Wolves.

“It’s just good sometimes to take time to pause and reflect a little bit on the journey and then what’s been accomplished, even though I still have so much more to accomplish,” Gobert said. “It’s good to just relax and look back. It’s cool.”

His consistency has helped buoy the Wolves when some of their other players tend to fluctuate in their performance and emotions. That was again the case Sunday. Gobert is averaging 11.8 rebounds over his past 11 games. He was averaging 10.3 in his first 18.

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McDaniels was injured in the first quarter when going for a loose ball after colliding with multiple players. He stayed in the game for a few minutes after the play but then exited after playing five minutes. He appeared in discomfort on the sideline and went down the tunnel near the bench before coming back in the game in the second quarter.

But he exited the game for good soon thereafter because of what the team called left hip pain.

Jaylen Clark returned from a one-game absence because of an illness while Rob Dillingham was out of the rotation. Terrence Shannon Jr. provided a key lift off the bench with 11 points, including three threes in the fourth quarter.

“He puts a lot of work in. He’s in the gym at 4 a.m. every day,” Gobert said of Shannon. “He puts so much work. When he shoots the ball, we’re super confident it’s gonna go in. It was good for us to watch him knock down a few today.”