Timberwolves keep Hornets at a safe distance, win 3rd in a row

Chris Hine, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Mar 5, 2025

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Earlier this season, when the Minnesota Timberwolves were struggling through the first half of their season, Julius Randle was trying to find his best fit with the team while Jaden McDaniels was struggling to see the ball go through the hoop.

Wednesday’s 125-110 win over Charlotte was an example of how far both have come since the beginning of the season.

Through the rash of injuries the Wolves endured since the calendar turned to 2025, McDaniels regained his scoring touch, and he was again prolific with 29 points, one short of his career high. Randle came up just short of his first triple-double with the Wolves with 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. He was scoring when needed and playmaking the rest of the night.

The Wolves have won three straight and will play Friday in Miami. Anthony Edwards had 29 points, and LaMelo Ball had 28 for Charlotte.

Fast start for the Wolves

Despite potentially tired legs while playing their fifth game in seven nights in their fourth different time zone, the Wolves pushed the pace offensively in the first quarter, and it worked. McDaniels and Naz Reid got easy buckets attacking the rim before the Hornets were set multiple times. That allowed time for Edwards to heat up.

After missing his first few shots, Edwards finished with 10 points in the quarter, while Reid and McDaniels each had 12. The Wolves led 39-28 thanks to a 14-9 rebounding edge. That gave them eight second-chance points.

The Wolves trailed early, but a 20-5 burst pushed their lead into double digits.

Dillingham back in action

With Mike Conley out to rest, rookie Rob Dillingham re-entered the rotation after being out of it the past two games. He played the kind of shift coach Chris Finch likely wants to see out of him moving forward. Despite his ability to be a microwave scorer, Dillingham was looking to set up teammates first before looking for his own shot. He flashed some good chemistry with Randle, who had seven points in their time on the floor together. Dillingham then hit his only shot of the half, a 3-pointer from the right wing.

The Wolves forced eight Charlotte turnovers in the second quarter, with Jaylen Clark having a hand in several of those. He was credited with two steals but also deflected other passes. The Hornets stayed in it because the Wolves committed eight fouls and Charlotte shot 49% when not turning it over. The Wovles led 65-58 at the half.

McDaniels sparks surge

Coming out of the locker room, McDaniels had a quarter similar to the first, taking advantage of the attention Edwards and Randle were drawing. He led the Wolves with 11 points and nearly matched his career high of 30 with 27 by the end of the third. His good shooting helped the Wolves push the lead back into double digits, and it reached as much as 29 late in the quarter before the Wolves led 97-83 entering the fourth.

They put it away early with a sequence the belongs on a highlight reel with one they had against the Suns on Sunday. Randle missed a free throw, but McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker fought for it, with Alexander-Walker saving it while falling out of bounds. The ball went to DiVincenzo, who buried a 3 for a 107-85 Wolves lead, and got the bench off its feet.

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