NFL
By: Courtney Byrd
The Minnesota Timberwolves have found their footing without Anthony Edwards. They’ve won four straight games to move to 8–3, with LaMelo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu leading a backcourt that has given Minnesota a steady source of scoring and playmaking. Their next challenge comes Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks, the first game of an eight-game homestand.
Ball set the tone in Minnesota’s 112–100 win over Milwaukee, scoring a season-high 34 points as six Timberwolves finished in double figures. Minnesota pulled away early in the fourth quarter, showing it could close out a competitive game without needing Edwards to carry the scoring. Ball’s performance also gave the team an early look at what it can ask of him while Edwards is out.
Dosunmu took on more of the scoring load against Houston, finishing with 21 points in a 117–107 road win. Ball added 20, and Jonathan Kuminga helped Minnesota pull away with a strong fourth-quarter stretch. The victory was another sign that the Timberwolves have more than one way to generate offense, especially when Ball and Dosunmu can share the playmaking responsibilities.
Minnesota kept its NBA Cup group-play record perfect with a 115–109 win over New Orleans. Dosunmu led the Timberwolves with 26 points, helping the team earn a close road victory and improve to 2–0 in West Group B. The win extended Minnesota’s streak to three and put the team in position to keep building momentum in both the regular season and the Cup.
The Timberwolves closed the stretch with a 115–100 win over Utah. Ball and Dosunmu combined for 50 points, with Dosunmu scoring 26 and Ball adding 24. Minnesota’s starters had trouble finding their rhythm early, but the team pulled away late with a 17–10 fourth-quarter run. The bench helped keep the game under control, while Rudy Gobert finished with 15 rebounds.
The four-game streak has given Minnesota a promising start to life without Edwards, but the Mavericks will provide another chance to see whether the team can sustain its new balance. Ball and Dosunmu have emerged as a productive pairing, and contributions from Kuminga, Gobert, and the bench have helped Minnesota finish games. The Timberwolves will look to carry that formula into their homestand and keep gaining ground while Edwards recovers.
