Mike Conley never seems to show much emotion on the court, and he famously has never earned a technical foul in his 17-year NBA career. He has the reputation for being one of the nicest guys and teammates in the NBA.
But Conley will tell you that despite the placid exterior and megawatt smile, there burns an insatiable competitiveness and sometimes even an anger to win.
No Timberwolves player has done more to bring professionalism and maturity to this season's team, and when the Wolves were fighting themselves Thursday night against Memphis, it was Conley who again calmed them down and guided them to a 118-103 victory over an injury-ravaged Grizzlies team.
With the Wolves trailing 89-85 with 10 minutes, 47 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, Conley scored eight straight points for the Wolves and sent them on their way to their fourth consecutive victory, and their 30th overall at the midway point of the season (30-11).
When the 36-year-old Conley capped the run with a three from the left wing to put the Wolves up 93-89, he pounded his chest and took in the reaction from an excited crowd.
"I've always been competitive, but I could see it being a little bit more urgent for me at this stage of my career," Conley said. "Every game matters more. I never know when it's going to be the last one, like that kind of feeling. That's how I treat it."
To underscore that point, 22-year-old Anthony Edwards told an anecdote about how he used to win money playing "NBA 2K" with the Conley-and-Zach Randolph version of the Grizzlies. How old was this gambling version of Edwards? About 8, he said.
"I haven't seen him show his emotions since Memphis," Edwards said. "I feel like when he got here, he found his swagger back a little bit. It's super exciting to see him get the crowd involved. Hit big shots, pump hisself up. Because he old, man."
Old man Conley's 17 points, 10 assists and no turnovers complemented the effort of Rudy Gobert, who had 17 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks in another head-turning defensive effort. That helped them overcome a lackluster first half from Edwards, who woke up in the second half to score 26 of his 28 points while Karl-Anthony Towns trudged to 14 points. The Wolves were down as much as 13 in an underwhelming first quarter as Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 36 for the Grizzlies, who were without many key contributors including Ja Morant and Desmond Bane.
Naz Reid helped wake the Wolves up from their early stupor with 20 points, which included the Wolves' final 13 points in just 3:07 of playing time in the first quarter.
"I ain't gonna lie, I was just playing ball, for real," Reid said. "I didn't really even notice the situation or the time that it was in. I was just hoopin' and just going out there and having fun … You know what's crazy, I didn't even notice they all were back to back to back. I was just in the moment, playing basketball."
Reid provided the early spark, Conley and the unit that was out there to start the fourth provided the late one. That included Conley, Gobert, Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Jaden McDaniels, who coach Chris Finch said wasn't 100%, but gutted it out on the second night of a back-to-back to score 11 points.
BOXSCORE: Wolves 118, Memphis 103
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The Wolves went with a heavy dose of pick-and-roll all night and that helped create some of those looks for Conley. From there, the Wolves pulled away for a comfortable victory in a late game played in front of a national TV audience on TNT.
"Being a nice guy and being a killer on the court when it comes winning time, they're not mutually exclusive," Finch said of Conley. "So from the get-go, when he came here, I think one thing he was most excited about was he saw the potential in the team, and he knew we were trying to win."
That helps Conley stay rejuvenated in his 17th season. It helps him prepare to play on nights like Thursday, when other veterans might opt for a rest day. Conley wanted to play all 82 games, but the Wolves' weather-influenced travel delays before their game in Boston last week forced him to opt for rest. There was never any question Conley was playing on this back-to-back, especially against his old team. The Wolves certainly needed him.
"I love it, man," Conley said. "I love the confidence Finchy has in me, and the players and the team, and I'm going to keep going as long as I can. This is actually keeping me up and going, just being able to know that I'm going to be counted on."
