Naz Reid claims Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards will lead Timberwolves to beat Bucks tonight

Naz Reid claims Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards will lead Timberwolves to beat Bucks tonight

Promised we start with the buck and Timberwolves facing off tonight what a game 10 Eastern ESPN Milwaukee continued to struggle as of late they are three and seven in their last 10 games all Cummings and stock Rivers took over rivers worst 10 game start with the team

As a head coach meanwhile the T wolves continue to have a great season they currently sit on top of the Western Conference and according to ESPN analytics they have the second best chance to make the NBA Finals out of the West only behind the Clippers and this will be the 12th head-to-head meeting

Between Carl Anthony towns and Yannis anmo giannis’s team currently holds the all-time Advantage winning seven of the 11 total meetings our NBA reporter Jamal ker joins us now from Minneapolis and Jamal I know you spoke to Doc Rivers after practice yesterday bucks currently three and seven with him as a head coach

But what did he have to say about getting things turned around here in the second half of the Season yeah Shay from that conversation with Doc yesterday you wouldn’t have been able to tell that this team had gotten off to that 3 and seven start because he’s just generally optimistic

About the way things have looked despite that record and that starts really on defense you know that was what doc was brought in to fix this team was a bottom 10 defense under Adrien Griffin and so far under these 10 games under doc despite the record they are a top 10

Defense and players have really appreciate it just the kind of organization and Clarity that doc has provided on that end and you can really just see it on the floor they’re playing a lot more inspired and on one Accord on that end so defensively he’s encouraged

With the way the team has looked I think where it hasn’t clicked is offensively and really doc has said coming out of the break getting Dame Lillard going is going to be one of their top priorities really getting Dame back to being Dame and he’s hoping that building off that

Strong All-Star game uh allstar MVP winning the Three-Point Contest they can get Lillard back pointing in the right direction so the Bucks still encouraged I did ask doc you know still three and seven does it time to sort of get some wins to match that optimism and he said

Right now it’s more important to get this thing looking right and clicking on the right direction and the wins will come and follow come playoff time I mean no doubt Lillard wants to build off that Allstar Weekend like you mentioned Jamal I mean he ranks last in field goal

Percentage since January 1st not just among his teams among 58 players with 300 or more attempts that’s not great we’ll see what he can do going forward Jamal Coler with the latest from Minneapolis thank you Jamal it was a big night in the wild wild Western Conference highlighted by

Two versus three all access day with the Minnesota Timberwolves in fact if I gave most NBA fans a pop quiz of who leads a loaded Western Conference I would bet most wouldn’t guess the Timberwolves 39 and 16 in the first half of the season they went into the All-Star break

Winners of four straight in fact the t-wolves have been so good we’re miking them up we’re going all access with the West leaders today this is from a wired from practice all right here we go let’s go let’s go let’s go let’s go come on out

Be sharp not knock it down Mike triple here it’s just a testament to these guys working to get better sacrificing being driven and passionate about winning a championship here from day one we felt like we had a purpose you know it wasn’t just about being good it was more about we try to

Win a championship good good chase the we first in the west but we feel like we still got a long way to go nice job man way to shoot it Kyle I got ball I got ball we’re not the normal team we’re built around defense

We have a bunch of guys who want to and take pride in it cut I got cutter I got cutter and really really want to Excel on that into the floor I’m back I’m back the defense has propelled us to the number one in the west and I think

That’s a huge Testament to Rudy goar also Jaden McDaniels good Jaden good good good that’s it coming down down I think because of those two guys they set the standard for us it gets us all fired up wanting to play defense at their kind of level I get

It Anthony he has such a infectious and Magnetic Personality and he plays at such a high level every night so his teammates say if we have that guy we’ve got a chance every single night good good good nice we’ve got a lot to prove to ourselves and to everybody else yet

But the league is way more open than it’s ever been and there’s no reason why it couldn’t be us we know we have the talent can we mentally prepare ourselves can we continue to push each each other and challenge each other at the right moments all that’s going to come into

Play as we go on the playoffs and eventually hopefully having a chance to play for a championship as long as we continue to stay focused on the prize at hand and continue to find ways to get better every single day I think that we have a chance to do something great wolves on

Three 1 2 three wolves there is nothing better than getting the cameras inside a professional sports team to see how they really work as we are joined Now by timberwol centor Nas Reed and Nas that was kind of a look inside your practice take us inside how is it forget about

The games I want to talk about the workouts of the practice how is it being around this team this season uh it’s been amazing I mean everybody’s excited to be here uh the effort the will the intensity is there I mean um it’s something that it hasn’t

Been in a long time and uh I’ve been here 5 years so it’s definitely uh Testament to the work that we’ve been putting in and the changes that we’ve made to get to this uh point you guys begin the second half of your season you just got done would shoot around moments

Ago you take on the Bucks tonight 10 p.m. Eastern on ESPN what is this team’s mindset after having a remarkable first half going into the All-Star break to now embarking on the second half of the season I mean goal the ultimate goal is to win uh I think uh everybody come in

With that mindset it can be done uh Everybody Plays a a huge role uh one through 15 all coaches uh I mean it’s it’s fun it’s fun out to be out there and uh you know compete uh with these guys guys and going out there and then obviously being in the position that

We’re in at the number one spot we want to continue uh that going into playoffs and moving forward can you pinpoint anything in particular of why so much success through the first 55 games of the season I mean our identity is defense I think defense and uh as you watched

Throughout the um some of the clips that you know Carl said that Kyle I mean uh Jaden and um Rudy I mean they they they they’re the head of the horse we’re following uh their suit and I think you know Rudy might be defensive player in

The of the year in my opinion um I think that’s just where it starts but yeah identity is definitely defense and it can promote an attitude and it seems like you guys relish playing with that defensive attitude and we mentioned it there you’ve got to taste the playoffs

In each of the last two seasons both of which though have resulted in a in a first round exit Give Me A Reason Nas this year why it’s going to be different um I just think we all have the the same mindset and all have one

Goal we’re not we don’t have any outside agendas I mean I think just every everybody has put their pride aside and I think everybody has the same you know like I mentioned before the same mindset I think it’s just to win win win win I think that’s the only thing on on each

One of our minds and we’re all going to put the effort and we’re all going to work and um we just got to continue to show each and every night and I’m sure you like most professional athletes or sports fans in general you’ve got a good baseball team there in Minnesota

Minnesota Twins but one of your owners is Alex Ro R rguez what’s it like having A-Rod around as a team owner I mean it’s definitely cool and fun you get you get to learn different aspects not even just from the basketball or uh the sports aspect just

You know life in general uh working different jobs and things of that nature I mean he’s definitely around he’s hands on as you can see right now I mean he’s definitely a great great guy to be around for sure has he taught you anything about winning at the highest

Level definitely I mean it comes with you know being a professional first uh all the things you’re doing around the sport uh you know just how you how you treat people um how you go to work how you prepare yourself uh things of that nature I mean it’s definitely uh

Something that you want to learn from a guy you want to learn from for sure 100% now as I love your story you you’ve really become a fan favorite in Minnesota since signing with the franchise as an undrafted free agent in 2019 people are stopping to take

Pictures with you sign at the sign outside a local pizza place they’re naming pets after you they’re buying shower curtains with your picture on them how would you describe your unique connection between you and this Minnesota Community I mean I’ve been here for 5 years so they’ve gotten a chance to see

Me grow from a pup to the guy I am now I mean uh it’s definitely been huge definitely been fun uh to be around these fans and kind of experience that I mean every time I check in the game it’s so much love has been shown I mean it’s

Definitely so I appreciate it so much and then I think just going out there and you know putting on the hard work that I’ve put in they they’ve saw it since day one so I mean I think that they appreciate it um and they they want

More so I can give them more in the next couple of years moving forward hopefully well you’re a scent in the NBA and your career has certainly been fun to watch good luck tonight 1000 p.m. Eastern ESPN against the box of Minnesota Timberwolves leading the Western Conference Nas Reed with the on Sports

CH thank you nas good Stu you anchor I oh oh spe I my wow for you right spe am you can I’m

ESPN SC | Naz Reid claims Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards will lead Timberwolves to beat Bucks tonight