MINNEAPOLIS — There is a reason NBA teams despise playing consecutive home games against the same opponent. It’s no team’s wish to split a pair of home games, but the league has proven time and again just how difficult it is to beat a team — any team — twice in as many games.
Particularly a team as good as Sacramento (28-21).
Minnesota gave it a run Monday, but couldn’t get the requisite overtime stops to pull off what would’ve been an impressive sweep.
Sacramento dissected Minnesota’s on-ball defense in the extra session to generate a number of easy looks en route to a 118-111 victory in Minneapolis.
The Timberwolves forced overtime Monday thanks to another explosive performance from Anthony Edwards. The third-year guard continues to look like the best player on the floor regardless of Minnesota’s opponent. That was no different Monday.
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Edwards finished with 33 points, five assists and eight rebounds. At the end of regulation, with the Timberwolves (27-26) trailing by three, Edwards used his gravity to suck in the Kings’ defense on a drive, and kicked out to a wide-open Jaden McDaniels, who splashed the tying triple with 12 seconds to play.
On the other end, Edwards locked down Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox, forcing the floor general into a tough mid-range shot that caught nothing but air.
But that was about the only time all evening that Minnesota contained Fox, who rebounded from a rough showing Saturday to tally 32 points, 20 of which came in the paint. As a team, Sacramento finished with 68 points in the paint.
Fox and Malik Monk terrorized Minnesota in overtime, driving into the teeth of the Wolves’ defense with ease to either score themselves or kick out to an open shooter.
Monday’s loss snapped the Wolves’ three-game winning streak, and things don’t get any easier moving forward with the defending champion Warriors coming to town Wednesday.
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