In an attempt to get Timberwolves crowds more into games, D'Angelo Russell has asked fans to stand starting at tipoff and until the Wolves score.
Timberwolves rally past Memphis; D'Angelo Russell scores 23 in fourth quarter
D'Angelo Russell's huge fourth quarter, in which he scored 23 of his 37 points, made the difference down the stretch.
February 25, 2022 at 1:02PM
By the end of the Wolves' 119-114 victory over Memphis on Thursday night, a Target Center crowd that tiptoed through snowy traffic was on its feet unprompted and was hanging on Russell's every move.
On a night Anthony Edwards was 1-for-11 and Karl-Anthony Towns battled foul trouble most of the second half, Russell picked a fine night to play one of his best games of the season.
He scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter. He scored from outside, probed Memphis defense to get to the rim and enabled the Wolves to overcome one of the Western Conference's toughest teams after the Grizzlies grabbed 26 offensive rebounds for 27 second-chance points.
"It's never me. I'm never thinking, 'How can I dominate?'" Russell said. "It's more, 'How can I keep this unit alive?', when the other team may have a dominant group out there that's looking at us like we're about to take advantage of this group."
That was what the Wolves faced throughout the second half with Towns (22 points) riding the bench and Edwards struggling offensively when he was on the floor. Memphis, who split the four-game season series with the Wolves, never got the lead back after a Russell jumper put the Wolves ahead 97-96 with 6 minutes, 45 seconds remaining.
Edwards made up for his lousy shooting night with seven assists and some key defense on Ja Morant, who scored 20 points on 7-for-25 shooting as he dealt with an apparent left leg injury he suffered in the third quarter.
"When I'm playing that bad offensively, I always try to find another way to take over the game," Edwards said. "I think I did that defensively tonight."
Edwards, who had five points, locked down Morant when the Grizzlies had a chance to tie down 117-114 with nine seconds remaining. The Wolves had allowed four offensive rebounds on Memphis free-throw misses in the second half, and coach Chris Finch opted not to foul to put Memphis on the line while up three. Edwards forced Morant to airball a three-point attempt from the top of the key. He then went down the floor making an "X" with his arms as the crowd celebrated the now inevitable win.
"I told you guys before that my defense was that good," Edwards said. "I can guard anybody in the NBA when it comes down to one-on-one matchups. I love myself every time."
Edwards also loved the way Russell played.
"He was incredible. He reminded me of myself out there," Edwards said with a bright smile.
Russell also added nine assists as the Wolves shook off some early rust to find their shooting by the second quarter. The mercurial Malik Beasley helped the Wolves through the third with 11 of his 17 points. Then after Towns picked up his fifth foul at the 10:11 mark of the fourth quarter, Russell took over.
"We got some killers out there so anytime I can become a spot up shooter, cutter or screener, it allows the game to be easier for myself," Russell said. "I try to think the game as much as I can so whenever the game's coming that fluid for me, it just makes it that easier."
Russell's recent tweak of the fans' volume helped inspire the new tipoff tradition. More nights like Thursday, and the crowd won't need to manufacture the emotion.
"Our fans made it intense," Russell said. "I don't think us playing the Grizzlies made it intense. … We felt that energy. We fell into our own. You can credit the fans once again."
Coach Chris Finch said the team reviewed film of every Edwards play in clutch time this season, and he graded out fairly well.
