Memphis led early, but Anthony Edwards' 41 points and Minnesota's size ignited a second-half surge, sealing the Grizzlies' defeat.
The Memphis Grizzlies gave the Minnesota Timberwolves everything they could handle for one half. The second half was a different story.
The Grizzlies built an 11-point lead and carried a five-point edge into halftime at Target Center on March 3, only to watch Anthony Edwards and a size-fueled second half take over in a 117-110 Minnesota win. It dropped Memphis to 23-37.
A 16-5 Timberwolves run in the third quarter flipped the game. Edwards finished with 41 points, seven made 3-pointers, and five steals. Julius Randle added 23 points, 17 of which came after halftime once Rudy Gobert shed his first-half foul trouble and Minnesota leaned into its size advantage.
Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo pointed to the possession battle as the decisive factor.
"I thought we did a great job in transition. I thought we were very effective when we moved the ball on offense," Iisalo said. "Overall, unfortunately, in the possession game it wasn't enough. I think they ended up with nine shots more, and that was the decisive thing."
Iisalo also credited the competitive challenge Minnesota presented, framing it as a learning opportunity.
"I was just telling the guys in the locker room that I hope we don't take for granted the opportunity to play against teams of this level," he said. "That is the level every one of our players and our team is looking to get to. You only get there by experiencing it and understanding that this is a veteran, tough veteran team that we pushed. But then we've got to have more consistency for the full 48 minutes."
Cedric Coward made the Grizzlies' fight real late. Returning off the bench from a knee injury, the rookie scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and keyed a 12-1 run that got Memphis within four with 20 seconds left. Edwards answered with two free throws to seal it.
Iisalo said Coward's development remains the priority despite his role shifting as teammates returned from injury.
"He's going to be tasked with some very tough matchups. Today he had possessions guarding all the way from Edwards to Randle," Iisalo said. "He can definitely get better at the point of attack, and every young guy can get better at the rotations."
Iisalo also outlined where he sees Coward's offensive game growing, noting parallels with GG Jackson.
"He's a very good finisher from that in-between area. If he can catch it in the pocket or create closeouts through pick-and-pop situations, that's good," Iisalo said. "Some of the actions that we run for G.G. Jackson — who has been a nominal four for us — I think they also fit Cedric very well. Both are guys who can get downhill because they have that threat from the outside, but also a burst to get into the paint and finish from there, or spray it out. Whenever a guy misses some time and we've changed some things while he's been gone, you start with the basics and then expand from that."
Jaylen Wells scored 14 points in the first quarter on four 3-pointers and finished with 19. Ty Jerome returned from a two-game absence and played 24 minutes, finishing with 14 points and two assists on 4-for-13 shooting. Minnesota's switching defense made it difficult for Jerome to generate clean looks throughout the night.
Santi Aldama, who had been listed as potentially available, was a late scratch. Iisalo said the decision came down to how Aldama felt in final pregame testing.
"If everything went well with the court slot we thought he'd be available," Iisalo said. "But in the last tests he just didn't feel like it was ready to go yet. So it was that type of situation."
Kyle Anderson also made his Timberwolves debut after Memphis bought out his contract Feb. 28. He played eight early minutes while Gobert worked through foul trouble and received a warm reception from the Target Center crowd.
Memphis continues its road trip with games still ahead against Boston, Toronto, Atlanta, and Memphis before returning home.