February 14th - The Timberwolves defeated the Trail Blazers 133-109 . Julius Randle scored 41 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, showcasing his dominant scoring ability; McDaniels contributed 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. For the Trail Blazers, Jrue Holiday had 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Henderson added 18 points, but their overall defensive shortcomings were the reason for the loss.

In the first quarter, the Timberwolves quickly built a double-digit lead through teamwork. The Trail Blazers tried to close the gap in transition offense midway through the quarter, but their overall efficiency was slightly lower. At the end of the first quarter, the Timberwolves led 32-26. In the second quarter, the Timberwolves' lead was once reduced to just 2 points. At crucial moments, the Timberwolves repeatedly attacked the basket and hit outside shots, extending their lead back to 16 points by the end of the quarter. At halftime, the Trail Blazers still trailed 51-61.

After switching sides, the Trail Blazers attempted a comeback, narrowing the gap to 6 points at one point. However, the Timberwolves quickly took control of the game, widening the score again with a combination of inside and outside offense. At the end of the third quarter, the Timberwolves continued to lead 96-82. In the final quarter, the Timberwolves started with a fierce offensive surge, extending their lead to over 20 points. Randle scored 23 points in the quarter, effectively sealing the game. Ultimately, the Timberwolves defeated the Trail Blazers 133-109.

Trail Blazers player statistics

Holiday had 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists; Henderson had 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists; Krejci had 17 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist; Avdija had 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists; Grant had 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists; Kamara had 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists; Klingen had 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 assist; Williams had 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist.

Timberwolves player statistics

Randle 41 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists; McDaniels 21 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists; Gobert 17 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist; Edwards 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists; Dossem 12 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists; Reed 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists; Clark 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist; Phillips 4 points; DiVincenzo 3 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists

Image source: Internet