Basketball is weird. Honestly, if you looked at the injury report before Tuesday night, you probably would’ve bet the house on the Milwaukee Bucks. No Anthony Edwards because of foot maintenance. No Rudy Gobert because of a one-game suspension for flagrant fouls. On paper, the Minnesota Timberwolves were walking into the Fiserv Forum basically as sacrificial lambs.
But then the actual game happened.
The final score of the Minnesota Timberwolves game was a staggering 139-106 victory over the Bucks. Yeah, you read 그게 right—a 33-point shellacking on the road without their two best players. It wasn't just a win; it was a franchise-altering statement about depth that has the rest of the Western Conference looking over their shoulders.
How did the score of the Minnesota Timberwolves game get so out of hand?
Usually, when a team loses its defensive anchor and its primary closer, they struggle to find an identity. Minnesota did the opposite. They decided to turn the game into a track meet. By the time the first quarter ended, the Wolves were up 38-20. By halftime? The score was 76-45.
That 31-point cushion was actually the largest halftime lead in a road game in Timberwolves history. Think about that for a second. With all the great Kevin Garnett teams or the recent playoff runs, this "depleted" squad set the record.
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Julius Randle looked like the All-NBA version of himself, dropping 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. He was basically doing whatever he wanted against a Milwaukee defense that looked like they were stuck in mud. It's funny because people were so worried about how Randle would fit next to Gobert, but on this specific night, having the floor spaced out allowed him to just bully his way to the rim.
The "Bones" Brigade and the bench explosion
You can’t talk about this game without mentioning Bones Hyland. He’s sort of been the odd man out at times this season, but he went off for a season-high 23 points in just 21 minutes. When Bones gets that heat-check look in his eyes, there isn't a defender in the league who wants to be on an island with him.
The bench production was just silly.
- Naz Reid (who started in place of Gobert) had 19 points.
- Jaden McDaniels chipped in 17.
- Donte DiVincenzo had 11 points and 7 assists.
- Even Joan Beringer, the rookie center, put up 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
The Bucks, meanwhile, looked completely lost. Giannis did his thing, but when your opponent is shooting 60% from the floor and over 52% from three-point land, there’s not much you can do. The Timberwolves finished 22-of-42 from deep. That’s essentially a video game stat line.
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What this means for the Wolves moving forward
A lot of people think the Wolves are a "two-man show" with Ant and Rudy. This game proved that’s a total myth. They are now 27-14 and sitting comfortably in the 4th seed in the West. More importantly, they’ve won six of their last seven games.
The chemistry between the role players is starting to peak at exactly the right time. Usually, teams hit a January slump where the travel wears them down, but Minnesota looks rejuvenated. They played with a "nothing to lose" energy that was infectious.
There’s a nuance here that most national media outlets are missing: the ball movement. Without Edwards there to take the lion's share of the isolations, the ball zipped around the perimeter. They finished with 37 assists on 55 made baskets. That is elite-level unselfishness.
The technical side of the blowout
If you're into the "four factors" of basketball, the Timberwolves' effective field goal percentage ($eFG%$) was a ridiculous .717. In simple terms, they didn't miss. They also won the rebounding battle 54-44, which is impressive considering their 7-foot-1 Defensive Player of the Year was watching from a hotel room.
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The Bucks' defensive rating for this game was 137.2. To put that in perspective, if a team played like that all season, they would be the worst defense in the history of professional basketball by a wide margin.
Actionable insights for fans and bettors
If you’re following the Wolves, there are a few things to keep an eye on before their next game against the Rockets on January 16:
- Watch the injury report for Anthony Edwards: While this win was great, "maintenance" on a foot can sometimes be code for something lingering. If he sits again, don't automatically fade the Wolves.
- Rudy Gobert's return: He’ll be back for the next one. Expect the defensive intensity to go up, but watch if the offensive flow slows down.
- The Naz Reid Factor: Every time Naz starts, his trade value (and his value to the team) sky-rockets. He’s more than a backup; he’s a legitimate starter on 20 other NBA teams.
- Live betting trends: The Wolves have been starting games incredibly fast. If you see them jump out to a 10-point lead in the first six minutes, they’ve shown a recent ability to put their foot on the gas rather than letting teams back in.
The reality is that the score of the Minnesota Timberwolves game wasn't a fluke. It was a demonstration of a roster that has finally figured out how to play for each other. Whether Edwards is on the floor or not, this team is dangerous because they have about eight different guys who can hurt you on any given night.
Keep an eye on the Friday night matchup in Houston. If Minnesota brings half the energy they showed in Milwaukee, the rest of the league is in serious trouble. Use the upcoming two-day break to see if the sportsbooks over-adjust the lines based on this blowout; there might be some value in the "Under" if Gobert returns and slows the pace back down to a grind.