Timberwolves Cruise to Dominant Win in Nets' Road Finale

Brooklyn had no answers on the interior.

Apr 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernández directs his team as they play against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

For the second time in eight days, the Brooklyn Nets faced off against the Minnesota Timberwolves—two teams trending in opposite directions. With their lottery odds locked into the sixth-best slot thanks to Toronto’s win on Wednesday, the Nets shifted their focus to developing young talent. Meanwhile, Minnesota, still jockeying for playoff position, handled business at home with a 117–91 win, turning up the heat on the Grizzlies and Warriors.

Keon Johnson led Brooklyn with 20 points and six assists in its second-straight loss.

After jumping out to a quick 9-2 lead—the majority of which was built behind Trendon Watford's early six points—the Nets' young core forced Minnesota head coach Chris Finch into a quick timeout. Proving the efficient onset an aberration, Rudy Gobert (who tied his career high with 35 points) hoisted the Timberwolves to an unanswered 10-point response as Brooklyn suddenly couldn't connect on anything.

Hitting just two of its 13 attempts from beyond the arc, Jordi Fernandez's youth movement scored just seven points following the opening spurt, conceding a 26-7 Minnesota run to close out the first quarter. Left without Nic Claxton (rest) or Day'Ron Sharpe (knee), Gobert was free to feast on a compromised Nets' interior en route to a 28-16 advantage through one.

As Jalen Wilson began mirroring the scoring threat he was in last night's blowout loss to the Hawks, Brooklyn's offense steadily improved. Wilson added eight of his 11 first-half points in the second quarter—including a three-pointer in each corner—to cut the Nets' deficit to as low as eight.

Alongside Wilson were Drew Timme and Reece Beekman, who combined for 12 points in the second frame. However, the instant efficiency didn't help trim the margin any further. By continuously feeding Gobert and Julius Randle, Minnesota's frontcourt proved too much for Brooklyn's tandem of Timme and Trendon Watford, carrying its 12-point lead into halftime.

The defensive struggles trickled over into the third, as the Nets repeatedly had no answer for Gobert. Even despite Johnson's evident determination to drive to the hoop—resulting in the 23-year-old guard converting on all eight of his attempts from the free throw line by the game's end—Brooklyn's deficit was far too high to overcome. It trailed by 25 points entering the fourth quarter, reminiscent of the disappointing performance against Atlanta just 24 hours prior.

Johnson, Wilson and Timme stood out on an otherwise quiet night, futher establishing themselves as potential contributors in year two of the Nets' rebuild. While their individual performance's didn't impact the final tally, the trio's effort perfectly exemplified Fernandez's comments earlier this week, stating Brooklyn's young core is "driving the culture."

In the closing act of the 2024-25 NBA campaign, the Nets play host to the New York Knicks—their cross-town rival who's claimed all three previous meetings this season—on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST.

To access the final box score from the Nets' loss to the Timberwolves, click here.

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