Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels goes to the basket between New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) and center Jonas Valanciunas (17) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (Gerald Herbert, Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Wednesday's Timberwolves victory over the Pelicans was getting tight, as the Wolves saw a double-digit lead dwindle in the final minutes.

It might have ended differently if not for two important shots Jaden McDaniels hit in the final minutes. One was a mid-range jumper that came from the left slot that put the Wolves up eight with 2 minutes, 28 seconds to play. Then came a catch-and-shoot three-pointer that McDaniels buried to put the Wolves up seven with 1:24 left.

After the game, McDaniels expressed confidence in his shot in big moments.

"There was no hesitation," McDaniels said. "They helped create an open three for me. That's a shot I make, catch and shoot. Off the dribble [on the mid-range], I was trying to get to the hoop so they cut me off. I'm taller than most everyone that guards me, just shoot right over them. That's something I work on and do all the time."

McDaniels is having his best season scoring-wise with 11.5 points per game and has improved his three-point shooting from 31% to 39%. While McDaniels expressed confidence in his shot, his teammates and coach have been encouraging him to keep firing, sensing that maybe he could use that extra push, especially after having some recent big-time shots miss. McDaniels is just 2-for-13 in clutch shooting for the season. Clutch statistics accumulate when a game is within five minutes of the end and is at least a five-point game. Those two shots against New Orleans were McDaniels' two makes.

"I think he was a little down," coach Chris Finch said. "He expects a lot out of himself, which is what we love and sometimes he can be a little hard on himself, but you got to shake it off and move on and whether it's trying to guard a great player or make a big shot, there's always another play to be had, another play to be made. So I do think he was maybe a little down on himself. It was good to see him bounce back."

McDaniels had recently missed a shot against Utah that would have won a game at the buzzer, and the man who threw him the ball in that situation, Anthony Edwards, has tried to make sure he keeps encouraging McDaniels. McDaniels also mentioned point guard D'Angelo Russell was telling him to shoot prior to the mid-range jumper. Gobert said the Wolves have "200,000% confidence" in McDaniels' shot when he's taking catch-and-shoot threes. Finch joined the chorus.

"I want him to stay confident," Finch said. "I don't want him to live and die with every shot. He's way more of a complete basketball player than just a shooter or a scorer, so he certainly has the ability to do that."

Stumping for Edwards

The NBA's All-Star starters were announced on Thursday and Edwards did not make the cut as a starter from the West. Starters are chosen by a combination of fan, media and player voting.

Edwards, who was averaging 24.5 points, six rebounds and 4.5 assists entering Friday, can still be an All-Star if the coaches vote him as a reserve.

The rest of the All-Stars will be announced Feb. 2. Finch made his case for Edwards, saying he "absolutely" has made the case to be one: "Plays every night," Finch said. "When he's out there, he's a two-way player. Gives you a chance to win. I think he's grown his game to being way more complete than just a scorer. His efficiency in scoring is starting to pick up. To me, I think he's put together an All-Star season so far."