Timberwolves down Brooklyn for fourth straight win

A Picasso Thursday s challenge in Brooklyn was not After edging Denver in perhaps the contest of the NBA season on Tuesday Minnesota played one that will be remembered by approximately no one on Thursday But it will go down in the books as Minnesota s fourth straight win as the Wolves pushed through Thursday s encounter to top the depleted Nets - Pushed through is ostensibly the right verb Wolves coach Chris Finch recounted reporters It didn t feel like we had a ton of gas in the tank understandable after the other night and the trip across the country And all wins count the same particularly at this point in the season The Wolves started the day in sixth place in the Western Conference standings a desirable spot considering the top six avoid the play-in tournament But more and more appears to be on the table for the Wolves with each passing day Can Minnesota pass Denver for a top-four seed and home-court advantage It s all in play if the Wolves run the table We re locked in We know that every encounter is huge Center Rudy Gobert announced in his postgame on-court television interview Every day in practice in film everything we do we can feel that everyone is locked in and we re taking it one competition at a time and taking care of business The assumption is the Wolves won t be able to do that in each of their final five games even with one of the league s the greater part favorable remaining schedules Because it s easy to slip up on any night amid a non-stop NBA schedule even against a Brooklyn - company missing countless members of its usual rotation The Wolves have lost a number of games this season they should not have when gauging the matchup on paper But inconsistency has been this company s curse Luckily for Minnesota - its antidote for the ailment appears to be rounding into form Gobert was Minnesota s most of consistent athlete a year ago He s looking a lot like that again of late He s been playing his butt off Anthony Edwards announced in a brief cameo during Gobert s interview Gobert tallied points and rebounds in Thursday s conquest Over his last six games the center is averaging points and rebounds Minnesota s record in that span is - I feel great Gobert declared I try to set the tone for the association every night and keep raising my level and try to do it every minute I m on the floor That interior dominance isn t dependent on shots falling So it didn t matter that Minnesota made just of its -point attempts on Thursday And the Wolves turnovers which led to Nets points going the other way were somewhat negated by the organization s offensive rebounds resulting in second-chance points He looks like the Defensive Participant of the Year that he was last year Consistently challenging everything finishing really well playing strong offensively around the rim playing very smart when the ball is delivered to him Finch announced He s playing within himself but at a high level It s a constant upon which the Wolves can rely on to win as countless of their final five games and climb as high as they can in the Western Conference standings And perhaps more importantly Gobert at this level of dominance could be the key to any number of anticipated playoff matchups for Minnesota It may not inevitably be pretty but it sure is effective All that matters is what comes in April and May in the NBA Ant scare Anthony Edwards finished with a team-high points on an efficient -for- shooting from the field He was helped to the locker room in the second quarter after twisting his ankle when landing on the foot of Nets coach Jordi Fern ndez on a corner -point attempt But as is often the development for Edwards he returned at the start of the second half and was no worse for wear A little dramatic he likes to do that Gobert joked But it s great He s tough We know he s going to play through a lot and he loves to compete We love that about him Related Articles for and counting Timberwolves wild win in Denver again put end-of-game struggles on display Taylor cedes Timberwolves and Lynx ownership to Rodriguez Lore Timberwolves win wild wild double-overtime affair in Denver Can Timberwolves avoid play-in tournament A guide to Minnesota s playoff prospects Donte DiVincenzo Naz Reid suspended for Wolves challenge Tuesday in Denver