The last thing that a Timberwolves fan would want to witness is a loss against the Wizards. Hosting the Washington side, the Wolves stepped on the court without their leader, Anthony Edwards. Undoubtedly, it’s an opportunity for the struggling Zards to take a rare win in their horrible season. Jordan Poole & Co. grabbed the opportunity and played like it too, leaving the Wolves crowd in an anxious spot. To make matters even worse, Naz Reid exited the court with a scary injury.
The Big Jelly, who always comes off the bench despite his recent improvements, tonight started the game in the absence of Ant-Man and Julius Randle. The new role didn’t seem to work for the big man, as he struggled to shoot, recording 3-10 FGs. Moreover, the lack of offensive flurry enabled the Wizards to edge past the Wolves’ total and take a comfortable lead in the third quarter.
While things were already going south for the home side, Naz Reid further deepened it with a concerning injury. In the 9th-minute mark of the third quarter, the 6 ‘9 attempted to set a screen for Mike Conley, who was looking to pull the trigger from the perimeter, Wizards rookie Kyshawn George collided with Reid.
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Status alert: Naz Reid (hand) headed to locker room Saturday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) February 2, 2025
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The big man immediately sprung up and checked his hand in pain. Almost 30 seconds and two possessions later, Reid himself halted the game, forcing a shooting foul. Following that, the star immediately checked out, and moments later, the team announced that the star wouldn’t return for the rest of the game. Capitalizing on the moment, the Wizards took the lead to 11 points, seconds before closing the third quarter. Can the Wolves bounce back in the last quarter?
With Naz Reid walking out, Wizards steal a rare win
The Wolves have made everything favorable for the Wizards to win tonight. Anthony Edwards, who hadn’t missed a single game this season, took a step back with illness. Meanwhile, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo’s unavailability has further made it doable for the Capital side. On top of it, Naz Reid walked out of the game early in the second half.
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It gave out the result exactly the way that we all expected. The Wizards stole a 2-point win and registered their second away win of the season. Kyle Kuzma, who had a quiet season struggling to shoot the ball, anchored the team’s offense, scoring 31 points and 8 rebounds. Notably, it wasn’t an easy win for the team and it wasn’t confirmed until the final buzzer.
With 13 seconds left on the clock and trailing by 2 points, the Wolves stole the Wizards’ inbound pass and forced their way into the offense. Unfortunately, Nickeil Alexander-Walkers missed a jumper from the deep and paved the way for the Wizard’s win. On the other hand, there isn’t any clarity on the severity of Naz Reid’s finger injury. If it’s a fracture, the star will have to miss out on multiple weeks. Hopefully, it isn’t anything serious.
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Without Anthony Edwards, are the Timberwolves doomed to struggle against even the weakest teams?
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Without Anthony Edwards, are the Timberwolves doomed to struggle against even the weakest teams?
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