Wolves lean on Randle and the role players for the win, after Edwards exits early
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The home-opener hype in Minnesota lost some steam when Anthony Edwards exited early.
Julius Randle capably took the lead for the Timberwolves.
“It was outstanding. Just put the ball in his hands and felt confident he was going to get a clean look,” coach Chris Finch said after the 114-110 victory over the injury-depleted Indiana Pacers. “Put a lot of pressure on the middle of their defense. Just kind of was a calm place to go.”
Edwards departed with tightness in his right hamstring, and the team quickly announced he would not return. Finch provided no update on his condition afterward. Edwards, the three-time All-Star who has just begun his sixth season, has played in 426 of a possible 445 games, including the playoffs, in his career.
Randle had 31 points on 11-for-18 shooting with six assists in 39 minutes on Sunday night, making sure the Timberwolves didn’t slip down the stretch.
“He’s a really good teammate, man. He knows when to find us. He knows how to get to the rack. He makes shots at a high level, and you just know what you’re going to get with him every night,” said backup guard Jaylen Clark.
Randle took awhile to find his footing last season with the Timberwolves after the surprise trade right before training camp sent him and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota for franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns, but during his 13-game absence in February with a strained groin he saw the offense in a new light and made some meaningful mental strides toward figuring out how he and his teammates could best thrive with the ball with him on the floor.
“I think guys are doing a great job of, when I get double teamed in the post, finding space,” Randle said. “Just stuff like that. I think the biggest thing is being quick, decisive and not holding the ball as much.”
Edwards converted a tough layup in traffic off a fast break with 3:07 elapsed in the game, taking hard contact before he looked for a foul call to no avail. The Pacers called timeout one second later, and Bones Hyland subbed in for Edwards during the break.
Edwards was listed as questionable with back spasms to play in Minnesota’s season opener at Portland on Wednesday night, when he had 41 points in 39 minutes.
The Timberwolves were facing a short turnaround before their game against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.
“Having Ant is a luxury, but I think he’ll be all right. I think he’ll play tomorrow,” said Naz Reid, who pitched in 16 points and 10 rebounds. “We’ve seen him do that plenty of times before.”
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA