Hit the game-clinching three-pointer with 1:15 left. I thought Williams had some phenomenal stretches attacking and creating. Having a limited by injury Ricky Rubio, limited by height J.J. Barea, and limited by talent Luke Ridnour checking him didn’t hurt, but he still played well. Other moments he seemed oddly invisible, but appreciate an all-around game that didn’t see Williams force bad offense.
Joe Johnson makes outside shots, swings the ball when he doesn’t have them, and abuses matchups when he has the advantage, and that is all I ask of Joe Johnson.
I don’t know what to make of Wallace. Sometimes I think everything he does goes beyond the box score, and that’s true. Sometimes I think his box score numbers are bad, and that’s true. Sometimes I think he gambles too much defensively, and that’s definitely true. This wasn’t a terrible game from Wallace, but he didn’t do a lot to surprise or affect tonight’s contest.
1-5 shooting notwithstanding, slowly starting to outplay Reggie Evans. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him re-take his spot in the starting lineup soon.
He’d better be named an All-Star reserve tomorrow.
Abused Greg Stiemsma into early foul trouble and later abused everyone else the Wolves put on him. Curiously sat for over 12 minutes in the first half even as it was obvious that the Wolves had no answer for him. Perhaps with three games in four nights, Carlesimo wants to rest him, but this wasn’t exactly a blowout. Threw down two ferocious dunks in the second half and hit a shot after faking two defenders to extend the lead to nine with under two minutes left.
Good & Evil Blatche both fully on display. When he sticks to basic principles — hanging around the basket, getting putbacks and dunks off dump-down passes — he’s great. When he tries to create offense on possession after possession by dribbling behind his back and shooting fadeaways… Not so much.
When he’s not making corner threes, he’s not useful. He was not making his corner threes. Doesn’t get an F because they were good shots to take — they just didn’t go down.
Quiet.
Hit big shot after big shot in the fourth quarter, and drew five fouls on J.J. Barea in about four minutes to fluster Minnesota. Out-pested the ultimate pest.
