The Minnesota Timberwolves passed their first test without Anthony Edwards.
Now, they will try to do it again.
The Timberwolves will go for back-to-back wins when they tip off against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.
Minnesota is coming off a 116-104 home win against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. The contest marked the first action for Minnesota since Edwards was diagnosed with right knee inflammation.
He will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks, the team said.
One player cannot replace Edwards, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels said. Replacing Edwards would require a team effort.
“(We’ve) just got to be aggressive — all of us,” McDaniels said. “Not trying to force stuff, but just coming in and being aggressive, playing our way. I don’t think we’re going to play any different because Ant’s not playing.”
Meanwhile, Utah will try to earn a victory at the end of a three-game road trip. The Jazz lost 124-114 to the Portland Trail Blazers to open the trip on Friday, and they followed with a 116-111 defeat against the Sacramento Kings two nights later.
The Jazz, who have lost 11 of their past 13 games, recently have relied upon their depth as players such as Walker Kessler (shoulder), Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) and Jusuf Nurkic (facial) have been sidelined because of injuries.
Cody Williams will look to stay hot after scoring a career-high 34 points on 12-for-20 shooting from the field against the Kings. Others who have stepped forward for the Jazz include Brice Sensabaugh, Isaiah Collier, Elijah Harkless and Andersson Garcia.
“This is their opportunity to really put together their reputation,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “All young players need opportunity. Most young players get a little bit of opportunity, and it can be a little bit spread out.
“To get a chunk of games where you play heavy minutes, you can develop a reputation that can be good, can be bad, (or) it can be somewhere in between.”
Minus Edwards, Julius Randle has an opportunity to step forward as the go-to scorer for the Timberwolves. He finished with 32 points on 10-of-17 shooting on Tuesday against the Suns.
“I think it’s me playing at my pace, getting into my flow, getting to my spots,” Randle said after the win. “I don’t think anybody can really stop me if I’m getting to my spots. …
“I’m probably the focus a little bit more, but regardless of if (Edwards) is playing or not, I’ve got to be aggressive.”
Ayo Dosunmu also has a chance to increase his productivity for the Timberwolves in Edwards’ absence. He stepped into the starting lineup in Edwards’ place on Tuesday and finished with 19 points on 9-for-17 shooting.
This will be the fourth and final game between the teams this season.
Minnesota won the first two matchups, 137-97 on Nov. 7 in Minneapolis and 120-113 on Nov. 10 in Salt Lake City.
Utah’s lone win of the series was 127-122 on Jan. 20 in Salt Lake City. Keyonte George led the Jazz with 43 points on 15-of-28 shooting from the floor, and Edwards paced the Timberwolves with 38 points on 11-of-28 shooting.
–Field Level Media
