By: Kylan Watson

After falling to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Minnesota Timberwolves who are one of the hottest teams in the league. Both teams traded blows throughout this game and thanks to an Anthony Edwards turn around prayer that was answered. Minnesota won this game 114-109, winning their fifth straight game and extending Philly’s losing streak to 11 games.

Both teams started off slowly in this game, but Minnesota was able to stay ahead of the Sixers until their offense finally showed up in this game. Anthony Edwards (37 points and hit six/11 three-pointers in the contest) Rudy Gobert (23 points and grabbed 19 rebounds) combined for 60 of Minnesota’s 114 points, Edwards was unstoppable in this game and Philly just did not have enough length on the floor to make it difficult for him.

He got whatever he wanted from the floor, and he started this game by putting Adem Bona on a poster and ended it by hitting a turn around three-pointer. Edwards was able to drag his team over the finish line in this contest and overcome multiple defensive lapses that kept the Sixers in this contest.

Despite the offensive explosion from Edwards and Gobert, Philly still had multiple opportunities to win this game. They forced Minnesota to turn the ball over 15 times in this contest and the Sixers were able to score off enough of those turnovers, especially late in the game to cut the Timberwolves lead to four points. Quentin Grimes (28 points) and Guerschon Yabusele (19 points), and Lonnie Walker IV (18 points) combined for 65 of Philly’s 109 points. Grimes once again did all he could to keep the Sixers in this game on both sides of the ball. His play at the defensive end forced Minnesota to turn the ball over twice in the fourth quarter and that helped Philly make it interesting late in the fourth quarter.

Grimes has been the Sixers best player for the past two months and Philly needs to make him a priority in the offseason. He is a dog on both sides of the ball and has the potential to be one of the best role players the Sixers have had in a long time. He can either be a starting two-guard for them or a sixth man off the bench and you do not let a young stud like that leave your building.

With the clock winding down Edwards got the ball faced a double team and shot an ill-advised shot that found the bottom of the net and won this game for Minnesota. Their superstar player made a play, and the Sixers just did not have enough talent on the floor to compete with Minnesota in this contest.

The Sixers will now prepare to face the Miami Heat on Monday night, they will need to limit their turnovers, cash in on the high-percentage shooting opportunities created from their ball movement, and make sure the Heat do not get multiple opportunities to put points on the board. Implementing these things into their game plan on Monday night should put Philly in great shape to win their 24^th game of the season and end their 11-game losing streak.