Missing key players and defensive struggles allowed the Timberwolves to dominate the Hawks in a lopsided contest.
The Atlanta Hawks arrived in Minneapolis facing the usual fatigue of a compressed schedule, but it was their missing pieces — not tired legs — that defined the night.
Playing without Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels, the Hawks were never able to stabilize defensively and fell 138-116 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night at Target Center. Atlanta, which was not on the second night of a back-to-back, struggled to contain Minnesota’s early shot-making and never fully recovered after a lopsided first half.
The absence of Johnson and Daniels forced Atlanta into immediate adjustments. CJ McCollum slid into the starting lineup, and the Hawks were left with only six available players off the bench, opening the door for debuts from Buddy Hield and Gabe Vincent as Quin Snyder searched for workable combinations.
McCollum carried the offensive burden from the opening tip. He scored 18 of his 38 points in the first quarter, repeatedly attacking mismatches and keeping Atlanta afloat early. His final line included four steals, a reflection of the pressure he tried to generate at the point of attack.
Minnesota, however, dictated the rhythm. Anthony Edwards scored 21 of his 30 points in the first half, mixing downhill drives with pull-up jumpers as the Timberwolves seized control during a dominant second quarter. A 40-18 run spanning late in the first and midway through the second pushed the lead to 79-52 and set the tone for the rest of the night.
Julius Randle anchored Minnesota’s balance, finishing with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as the Timberwolves placed seven players in double figures. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 23 points, 12 rebounds and five assists for Atlanta in his first game back at Target Center after spending three seasons with Minnesota.
Atlanta briefly showed life late in the third quarter, closing the period on a 12-2 run to trim what had been a 31-point deficit to 19. Any momentum from that surge was interrupted early in the fourth.
With 11:52 remaining, Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye and Timberwolves forward Naz Reid were ejected following a scuffle near the top of the key. The sequence began when Reid took exception to contact from Gueye while fighting through a screen, with the play halted after Vincent tripped Reid while defending Jaden McDaniels. When Reid stood up and confronted Gueye, the two locked onto each other before teammates and officials intervened.
The Hawks continued to search for small breaks. One came midway through the fourth when Alexander-Walker curled off a screen and launched a three-pointer that bounced off the front rim, hit the backboard and dropped through, cutting the deficit to 120-103. It was a fleeting moment in a game Minnesota largely controlled.
Afterward, Snyder pointed to defensive execution as the root issue.
He explained to FanDuel Sports’ Bob Rathbun that the Hawks were late on too many contests, allowing Minnesota to operate with space despite being technically challenged.
“We didn’t make them uncomfortable enough for a lot of those shots,” Snyder said. “They were contested, but late. They just had too much space. They did a good job of moving the ball.”
Snyder also addressed the mid-game switch to zone defense, which briefly slowed Minnesota’s rhythm.
“We were struggling to get stops and just changing the tempo of the game, it felt like that could help us,” Snyder said. “Sometimes it just changes the rhythm of the game.”
The broader challenge, Snyder noted, went beyond any single adjustment.
“Across the board, we need to be better defensively, particularly in the first half,” he said. “Not having Jalen and Dyson to push the ball — but I thought both CJ and Gabe did a good job filling in in that regard.”
Atlanta, which has lost four of five, heads to Charlotte on Wednesday for its final game before the All-Star break. Minnesota, meanwhile, steadied itself after recent losses and left little doubt on a night when depth and execution tilted the floor early and often.