Matt Barnes impressed by Anthony Edwards scored 34 points as the Timberwolves beat the Kings 110-98

Matt Barnes impressed by Anthony Edwards scored 34 points as the Timberwolves beat the Kings 110-98

Three of seven from Beyond The Ark it not being enough it’s one of those games where you’re just going to look at and go well I mean it was nice for what it was but I believe that was the eighth time that the Kings have been down by 20

Plus this season so not good tough hole to put yourself in you know three games and four nights is is is also never easy uh hopefully these guys go home get some rest get us a chance to spend some time with their family and then you know

They’re right back on the road oh right back back on the road is that like uh going to be tough too as we look at this full screen of the back to backs in the league is that going to be tough coming up after the holidays being at home does

That sometimes make it more difficult it just depends you know how moody you are do are some guys carrying losses to the crib do they or they leave it you know at the arena it just kind of depends but again it’s also again holiday season so you’re going to be with your family

You’re going to hopefully forget basketball for the day um outside of the you know the the sports that you watch and then come back refreshed and and and ready to go and you saw that screen right that full screen right there where you know second nights of back backs

Just haven’t looked good for the Kings this season they haven’t gotten a win this year on the second night of a backto back I felt like things almost changed tonight especially with that run that they had there late in this one but again we’re talking about these holes

That they keep putting themselves in and Matt there’s been so many losses this year where I’m just looking at a loss and going what they don’t they do not good but here at least that fight back there was something different about this loss yeah I mean there was fire at the

End obviously understanding you take everything in consideration uh but again to be able to put yourself down put yourself in these holes and have to fight back you know that King threw down 22 points the biggest lead the Kings had tonight was two points again Minnesota

Is one of those surprise teams kind of the darling of the league similar to what Sacramento was doing last year where they kind of came out of nowhere and started making their presence felt so you definitely got to respect them they’re at the top of the West right now

And it was just a tough loss but but again there’s no gaping differences between the Minnesota timber wols and the Sacramento Kings so they’re right in that same conversation and it’s still a lot of season to go a lot of season to go and I mean you look at someone like

Anthony Edwards and what he’s been able to do this season and then again a big one from him tonight he finished with 34 points 10 assists so he’s getting everybody involved as well it’s I mean look how much attention that he causes especially every time that he tries to

Get in the paint whether he’s drawing the foul or finding the open man the way that he moves without the basketball it’s tough to guard yeah I mean tough shot taker tough shot maker again this is one of the best young players in the league plays with a lot of poise and

Confidence you know tonight 10 assists and five rebounds to go along with his 34 points so you know a Anthony Edwards is an up and coming star uh but I think Keegan played him very solid tonight made him work and uh you know he he had

34 but it wasn’t easy and he said Up And Coming Star I’m I’m curious about that I feel like he’s he well he’s here well you got to think well who you got to think him and what was it was it dear were replac or replacement All Stars

Last year I think both these guys are going to make it on their own Merit this year so I think you know obviously the league knows about Anthony Edwards they’ve been on alert and you know this this season has been his coming out party copy that well let’s go to Rudy

Goar too because that’s another guy that was just dominating at times in this one he finished with 21 points 17 rebounds I mean not only do we already know that he’s this LOF threat you look at him in the two-man game he can throw it down but I felt like at

Times when it wasn’t necessarily just a rebound it was a tip out he was making sure that he was getting those Second Chance opportunities for his team very active tonight uh you know threats on on the offensive end at The Rim threats you know protecting the rim and changing

Shots Rudy goar had a great game tonight I mean along with Anthony Edwards outside of him no one else really you know made an imprint on this game so you definitely got to uh you know respect what Rudy grar came out and did tonight yeah and again not that’s without their

Other big cat without cat in there you just always wish that the Kings could capitalize oh it stinks a little bit and you know what El things is um when you look at these fast break points for the tea wolves and just what they were doing in transition they finished with 28 fast

Break points compared to the Kings five fast break points what was what were they doing so well in the fast break I active live hands you know you get these live ball turnovers where they’re able to get out and transition and obviously we didn’t shoot a good shot for we

Didn’t shoot a great percentage so they were able to get these long rebounds and like you said right here Outlet to guys running down the court cherry picking like we used to do back in elementary school so again you know just a combination of you know tired legs and

You have to play Perfect When you put yourself in a 20-point hole you have to play damn near perfect to come back and do it and there was just some some es and flows along you know as they were trying to fight in this comeback yeah

And and I’m with you on that because I go they did a great job of out letting the ball pushing it up cherry picking all those things but also it’s you look at these fatigued legs or a second night of back toback and you go gosh you

Couldn’t just push through a little bit much I know the te- Wolves were here just staying at the kton last night Wai just waiting for the King sons game to end um let’s get to our Stockton um Mercedes-Benz player of the game I’m sorry time for our Mercedes-Benz of Stockton star player of

The game so many words there I can’t even say we’re going to go to De Fox 27 points three of 11 from Beyond The Arc and four rebounds six assists two steals you know you can go down the list of his statline again just when he’s out there he’s

Reliable what did you like about his game tonight especially when it felt like at times not not enough guys were stepping up uh he put the team on his back a few different times and kept him somewhat close uh but again you know hats off you know tough game not a great

Shooting percentage but he was out there trying to will his team to a victory you know that’s what great players do um fell a little bit short tonight but it wasn’t for a lack of effort yeah and that I mean that’s it right there oh and

We talk about his range once again I mean that was something we were talking about in the pregame show as well it’s just what he’s been able to do from Beyond The Ark and I felt like he did a pretty good job out there I saw Jaden

McDaniels do a great job of obviously slowing him down which slows down the offense and Deen Fox is actually standing by at the podium right now I mean they just they have length obviously you have Rudy at the at The Rim so you know they try to force you

Into uh some tough shots and um they’re long and athletic so um they get you off the line and obviously having Rudy back there um it kind of makes you think twice about you know getting to the rim and um a lot of rearview contest and

They’re very active Fox 28 to five on Fast Break points was is it troubl was it troubling to get the ball moving up the court or is that something you guys wanted to do is to slow down the ball oh no I mean um I think just about all our

Turnovers were were live ball turnover so I think that’s how they were able to to to get out and run how how do you feel like you guys did defensively and how much do you feel like your defense impacted your offense I mean I think we were um I mean

Limiting their threes but um I think the first half like 44 I think 44 of their 58 were points in the paint so we had to be better um guarding the rim I think that’s where we had trouble at tonight dearn you guys haven’t been super competitive on the second night of a

Back toback this one felt more competitive did you feel that that you guys were in this may have come down to a little bit of legs I mean you want to keep the game close you know throughout the game not just trying to fight back in the fourth quarter um

And then we had a big turnover and a block shot that kind uh that kind of blew the game up so um I mean we have to be better throughout the course of the game rather than just trying to fight back and the forth Fox there’s been

Plenty of times over the past couple Seasons where you’ve kind of had to take over in the fourth quarter but with Keegan going the way he was even Trey LS getting involved Harrison a little bit what is the in your mind like what is the decision between it’s I got to go

And I got to get my teammates involved oh I mean there’s always you know you try to find the balance even you know just throughout the game and uh I think you guys had it going uh but I still have to be better in that at the end of the

Game 110 to 98 oh my goodness they were only held or they were held to uh below 100 points only four times all of last season and this was their fifth time tonight at Golden One Center so tough to see that you know we saw a historic offense last year and this year

It’s not always pretty it’s not always there um but there was one thing that was pretty and we we had a little I love that I’m like trying to get there I’m like we had a little watch your head moment with domas sabonis so can we please sprinkle on this Christmas Joy oh

Yeah domas sabonis went down down really hard the down the lane map Barnes that was pretty and he gave him a little swipe to the face to make him remember it so tough place but uh to piggy back off what you said you know obviously only four times under 100 last year

They’re not sneaking up on anyone this year Morgan I think they were able to sneak on teams last year they weren’t really sure is this team real or not they’re getting checked and tested nightly uh you know out here in this tough Western Conference and and with

All that said I mean they’re in the fourth or fifth spot I don’t know by percentage wise so again as they’re still figuring out they’re still at the top of the Western Conference which to me is the dominant conference in the NBA this year so again still learning still

Trying to figure out maybe missing a piece or two but at least they’re in that upper four upper five of the Western Conference at this point still yeah no and that’s what’s I mean again you’re you’re looking at this season and you’re going okay it’s still early you

Feel like you have more of a definition of what the the identity of this team is but you’re still seeing so many things that are inconsistent something that every night or most nights is consistent is domas sabonis and he had another triple double 17 points 10 assists 10

Rebounds uh for him what did you like about his game specifically tonight especially when they were down well this was a I mean this was a nice Center Battle tonight you know normally gobear doesn’t really score the way he did but I mean they were both going at it

Obviously the playmaking he had a hell of a pass I think of around the back left-handed pass to Keegan Murray as he’s going as Keegan hit the three so I mean again this is normal for him but it’s still unbelievable I mean this is a center out here getting triple doubles

Like it’s you know it’s it’s nothing so again played hard uh you know battled goar back and forth and uh had a very solid game yeah and that’s I mean you just said it battled goar back and forth It’s not like goar had the best of him

And oh my goodness he stopped Tomas aonis I mean he didn’t especially on that dunk right there and other times obviously when domos was capable of still having his vision and being able to find guys whether it was a spray three in the corner or was someone uh

Cutting to the basket you know it’s it’s incredible what he still brings now I do want to talk about some of the other guys and one of those guys for me is Kevin herder he’s had a few of those noow games this season and this would be

One of them in his 15 minutes obviously wasn’t playing much because Mike Brown maybe felt like he wasn’t doing enough and Mike Brown sometimes has his short a little bit too or his leash a little bit too short but two points for him 15 minutes what what did you not like about

His well it’s just tough I mean if for a starter people have to understand at home when you’re a starter and you know you’re going to get eight 12 shots a game you can start off 0 for five you know 0 for six and still have a decent

Shooting night but again Mike’s trigger was a little short his leash was a little short only played 15 minutes I liked how aggressive he was he just was wasn’t really hitting shots early on but you know call it what you want I know no it’s it’s one of those things that I

Just think it’s something to monitor especially because you’ve seen these nights where Kevin herder has that fire lit under his tush and understands what he needs to do on both ends of the floor and then you see different nights where Mike Brown’s like I’m not having it at

All and another guy that Mike Brown hasn’t had it at all with is Davon Mitchell another DMP for him I say another I think we saw him even the other night for a little bit but I feel like for him sometimes he is just not

Even going to see a minute on some it’s crazy because I I think you know obviously Keon Ellis came in and kind of stole some of his minutes when he first got called up with with with what he was doing but I think with all due respect I

Think Keon Ellis is kind of balanced out and and and hasn’t necessarily shot the ball well or really Made A Difference Maker but Mike is rolling with him right now I’ve been wondering and waiting when Davon was going to get another opportunity but he hasn’t really got

Consistent minutes I mean I you know one thing you can hang your hat on every night with him is defense um but I think Mike wants more offense so it’ll be interesting to see moving forward If he if he if he gives them a little bit of glimmer of light because again Keon

Ellis came up and it wasn’t so much about the scoring it was the little things he was doing I think those have kind of plateaued out a little bit and I wouldn’t be surprised or I think that Davon should definitely probably be getting some more minutes you know

Coming into the new year but again you know Mike is the coach and you got to go with what’s uh what he’s calling do longer leash situations sometimes happen in practice or do they happen with opportunities when someone is heard and I think it’s opportunities I mean

Because because you look Trey L has kind of been in and out and tonight he got some consistent minutes and he’s produced you know we know when he gets consistent minutes he’s able to produce so it’s just kind of hard that’s why guys get frustrated time because you

Know hey if I do get minutes I’m going to produce but if I’m in you know 2 minutes here pulled out sit down 30 minutes come back in for a minute and a half and get you know there’s just no Rhyme or Reason and we’re such creatures

A habit where we know I know when I was a sixth man or seventh man coming off the bench I knew when I was going to go in I knew how long I was going to play I knew when I was going to come out unless I was really rolling so when there’s

None of that there it’s really hard to be mentally prepared every time you step on the court all those these guys get paid a bunch of money to do it they’re still human you know what I mean so when Mike has these weird rotations or lineups or doesn’t play guys and then

Throws them in there I mean people don’t understand how hard that is mentally to go out there and perform oh yeah no I can only imagine what that can do to some of these guys and I think sometimes people are like well how do you figure out being mentally strong I mean yeah

It’s something that you can work on whether it’s um you know just in your own time working on yourself but at the same time it doesn’t make it any easier when you step on that basketball floor at time so um we got Mike Brown who is actually waiting by at the podium Fore fore speech fore fore for foreign Speee for Fore speech spee for speech speech speech yeah one see see thinke spee

Matt Barnes impressed by Anthony Edwards scored 34 points as the Timberwolves beat the Kings 110-98