MEMPHIS, Tenn. — There have been nights over the last few weeks the Timberwolves haven't needed all of their big three to win easy games against Oklahoma City and Houston.
On Thursday, against a Memphis team that had won 10 straight coming in, the Wolves got almost nothing in terms of offensive production from their bench and needed every bit the trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards could give them.
It wasn't enough.
Memphis took control late and won its 11th straight game, 116-108.
The Wolves had a 106-105 lead with 2 minutes, 45 seconds to play after a Russell layup, but the Grizzlies scored the next 11 points to secure the win. The Wolves had turnovers on three straight possessions.
Edwards had 25 of his 30 points in the first half, Towns had 25 points in a big second half while Russell had 29 points. Ja Morant had 16 points and nine assists for the Grizzlies while Desmond Bane had 21.
Edwards made it a mission to take control of the game from the opening tip. He said Tuesday against New Orleans he wasn't aggressive enough early. That changed in a big way Thursday as he looked for his shot and drove to the rim almost every chance he got. That resulted in 11 first-quarter points as the Wolves built an early lead that would grow as big as 31-22.
Patrick Beverley and the Wolves did a commendable job early limiting the other young star in this game, Morant, who had just three points in the first half.
The Wolves' starters controlled the game while out there together. Things didn't go as well for Minnesota when the bench had to play. The four players who came off the bench — Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Malik Beasley and Josh Okogie — shot just 3 for 17 in the first half. Memphis was able to get back in it early in the second quarter thanks to the Wolves' cold shooting and porous transition defense. Memphis had 12 fast-break points in the first half.
But Edwards closed the quarter strong and the Wolves had a 60-53 lead headed to the locker room.
Russell had 11 points in the first half for the Wolves. Edwards' 25 first-half points were a career high in a first half.
Morant would get going in the third quarter as the Grizzlies flipped the script from the first half and wrested the lead back from the Wolves. He was able to penetrate while the Wolves struggled offensively. Edwards wasn't as involved as he was in the first half and shot just 1 of 4. The Wolves played more through Towns in the third as he went 4 of 6. But the transition defense let the Wolves down again as Memphis continued to find easy buckets with eight fast-break points.
When the Wolves got their big three back on the floor in the fourth they made another run at Memphis and took the lead on a Towns tip in with 3:20 to play and another lead after Russell's tip in. They wouldn't get anything after that.
