MIN 94, LAC 88: Anthony Edwards Delivers Steady 42.1 Yahoo FP
Destiny Williams
Math Teacher & Basketball Coach · Atlanta Hawks fan
Wolves Defense Smothers Clippers: Edwards Goes Off, But Role Players Tell the Real Story
Final Score: Timberwolves 94, Clippers 88
Minnesota won a defensive slugfest tonight, and honestly, this game tells you everything you need to know about how the Timberwolves are built to win in the playoffs. They don't need scorers to go nuclear. They need exactly what they got: steady contributors, lockdown perimeter D, and one star who can be aggressive when the defense tightens up. Anthony Edwards made sure of that.
But here's the thing, and this matters for your lineup decisions going forward, the real win condition wasn't on the scoreboard. It was in the role player box score, specifically one dude who turned a standard fantasy night into something you need to pay attention to.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Edwards | 43.0 | 42.1 | 31/3/5 | 29.6/5.2/3.7 | +1.4 |
| Donte DiVincenzo | 38.0 | 32.6 | 18/3/4 | 12.9/4.4/4.2 | +5.1 |
| Jaden McDaniels | 33.0 | 31.4 | 12/7/2 | 15.1/4.4/2.9 | -3.1 |
| Kris Dunn | 31.0 | 30.7 | 11/6/7 | 7.9/3.1/3.6 | +3.1 |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | 33.0 | 28.7 | 18/1/1 | 10.7/2.7/1.3 | +7.3 |
| Naz Reid | 27.0 | 27.4 | 11/7/0 | 14.1/6.4/2.5 | -3.1 |
| Rudy Gobert | 24.0 | 27.1 | 3/13/1 | 11.0/11.4/1.7 | -8.0 |
| Bogdan Bogdanović | 23.0 | 25.2 | 8/6/4 | 7.7/2.9/2.7 | +0.3 |
| Brook Lopez | 14.0 | 21.2 | 8/6/2 | 7.1/2.9/1.0 | +0.9 |
| Bennedict Mathurin | 8.0 | 21.2 | 14/6/2 | 18.3/5.5/2.4 | -4.3 |
Edwards Does Edwards Things
Anthony Edwards dropped 31 on 12-24 shooting with 5 assists. Translation, he was efficient when it mattered. The All-NBA Second Team guy didn't need to score 40. He scored enough. That's the mark of a player who understands spacing and shot selection. 42.1 Yahoo points isn't his season high, but it's within his window. This is what you pay for with Ant.
The Real Breakout: Derrick Jones Jr. Is Showing Up
Here's what jumped out at me. Derrick Jones Jr. went +7.3 on his season average. He's a role player who gave you 18 points on 7-11 shooting plus two steals in 31 minutes. His season average is 10.7. He nearly doubled it. That matters because Clippers role players got absolutely cooked tonight, and DJJ was the exception. If the Clippers are missing their stars or dealing with defensive lapses, DJJ becomes a sneaky grab off waivers in deeper leagues. He's the guy who does the unglamorous work and fantasy doesn't always reward that until matchups make it obvious.
Donte DiVincenzo's Shooting Night
Donte DiVincenzo dropped 18 on just 6-13 shooting but went 4-for-4 from three. That's 32.6 Yahoo points for a dude averaging 12.9 PPG. The shooting was hot, sure, but here's what matters for your decision tree, DiVincenzo is now your reliable secondary ball handler when the Wolves need spacing. He's averaging +5.1 points tonight over his season average. In a run-and-gun league environment, that's repeatable.
Kris Dunn's Floor General Game
Kris Dunn with 11/6/7 and 7 assists. That's 30.7 Yahoo points for a backup point guard averaging 7.9 PPG. The assists were real. He ran the offense when Minnesota needed clean looks. This is the glue guy archetype I always look for, and frankly, Dunn's one of the better examples in the league right now. If your league values assists heavily, he's worth monitoring on the waiver wire, especially in deeper formats.
The Clippers Took an L Across the Board
Kris Dunn wasn't the only one dishing. The Clippers' offense looked disjointed. Bennedict Mathurin went 4-14 from the field, which is rough considering he's averaging 18.3. That's -4.3 vs his season average. He forced shots. He wasn't the problem, but he wasn't the solution either.
Brook Lopez went 2-12 from the field. That's not a typo. Two for twelve. Lopez shot himself into trouble, and the Clippers' bench couldn't stabilize the game. These are the games where the Clippers' depth becomes their weakness, not their strength.
Why This Matters for Your Roster
The Timberwolves showed you they can grind out wins without needing every role player to go off simultaneously. Jaden McDaniels went -3.1 vs his average but still dropped 12/7. Rudy Gobert was a minus on points (-8.0) but pulled 13 rebounds. This is team basketball. It's also a reminder that Minnesota's regular season trajectory is playoff-ready. They're not flashy. They're functional.
For fantasy purposes, Wolves games are going to reward depth picks. You need multiple contributors. Edwards will eat, sure, but he's not going to put up 45 Yahoo points every night. The value is in the role players finding their niche game to game.
Clippers need reinforcements or better health. Tonight looked like a team playing without some key pieces, and the margin for error shrinks fast when your ball handlers and wings aren't clicking. Keep an eye on who returns from injury in LA's lineup.