Timberwolves give Memphis too many chances, and the final one sinks them

The Memphis Grizzlies crashed the backboards any time, from anywhere and took 25 more shots than the Timberwolves in an entertaining 127-125 victory Saturday night at Target Center.

But it was the Grizzlies’ last shot, with 18.1 seconds remaining, that made all the difference

In his second game back from a shoulder injury, star Ja Morant’s 11-foot baseline floater over flat-footed Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert brought Memphis back to win from a six-point deficit with less than five minutes left.

It stood as the last of 108 field-goal attempts — to the Wolves’ mere 83 — that they’d shoot while winning the offensive backboard battle 21-7. The Grizzlies scored 27 points off 19 Minnesota turnovers as well.

Memphis 7-3 center Zach Edey had seven offensive rebounds himself despite playing less than 20 minutes.

That’s nothing new. Wolves coach Chris Finch said before the game that this is the way the Grizz always play. Nearly everybody crashes the boards, sometimes from 15 feet or more away.

Memphis made only one more field-goal attempt — 48-47 — than the Wolves, and the Wolves made one more three-pointer — 17-16 — than the Grizzlies.

“It always has been their M.O.,” Wolves forward Julius Randle said. “That’s the game, to be honest, 25 more shots. That’s something that’s hard to overcome. Still we gave ourselves a chance to win.”

The Wolves had two possessions in those final 18.1 seconds to tie or win but couldn’t manage more than Edwards’ forced three-point shot, from 26 feet, with 0.3 seconds left.

Face-guarded much of the night, Edwards went 4-for-13 from the field, had six turnovers and scored 15 points.

On the winning shot, Morant took a handoff from Brandon Clarke. He ran a circle to create space as his body leaned left toward the baseline while he shot back to the right with his right hand.

That winning shot came because Jaren Jackson stole the ball from Randle after Morant’s driving layup with 54 seconds left tied the game 125-125.

The Wolves had two chances to tie or win, but Edwards' three-pointer missed with 7.3 seconds left. Wolves guard Donte DiVincenzo pulled down the offensive rebound, a rare feat for his team Saturday night.

The Wolves called timeout, but the best they could do with the remaining 6.3 seconds left was get the ball to Randle beyond the three-point arc at the top of the key. Edwards came for the ball and rubbed off defender Morant, but his shot, contested by Clarke, didn’t come close.

It’s a play the Wolves have used before, often finding Mike Conley free in the left corner.

“It’s one of our out-of-bounds plays, and we just didn’t execute the back end of it,” Finch said.

Morant scored only 12 points — he was 0-for-4 on threes, too — but those final two mattered most.The Wolves arrived at Target Center 20-17 overall and 6-6 in their past 12 games while the Grizzlies had lost three of their past four. Included was Wednesday’s loss to Houston, which also was Morant’s return from a shoulder injury.

The big Saturday night crowd at Target Center got a scare midway through the first quarter when Wolves starting center Gobert went to the bench and then quickly to the locker room.

He returned early in the second quarter and played on, all the way to a 12-point, four-rebound night in 29 minutes.

The Timberwolves now are 3-1 since Finch shook up his starting lineup and swapped Conley for DiVincenzo.

DiVincenzo approached a triple-double Saturday with a 27-point, 10-rebound, seven-assist night. Eighteen of those points came on six three-pointers.

He explained his 10 rebounds this way: “Everybody they had was crashing. We’ve got to get in there and help Rudy. We’re just trying to free him. Offensively, it’s coming together. We’re figuring things out. The reasons our heads are down in here is because it’s really simple: Take care of the ball and rebound the ball and we win this game by double digits.”

Before Saturday’s game, Finch said bringing Conley off the bench later in the first quarter gives him more flexibility and options as a coach. Conley entered with seven minutes gone in Saturday’s game.

“Bringing Mike off the bench, I can put him wherever I need him,” Finch said before the game. “I can bring him in early. I can hold him out. I can run him longer. I can sub him for almost anybody. I try to keep his minutes down, and starting him, trying to get him to play with certain lineup combinations, all three of those things were not achievable at the time, but now I feel I can do all that.

“It’s better for him and better for Julius. It frees him up more in the flow now.”