MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Karl-Anthony Towns shook off his tough night against the Clippers and was back to his usual self.
Anthony Edwards again showed he can thrive when the lights are bright at just 20 years old.
Together, Edwards and Towns led the Wolves to a stunning 130-117 victory over Memphis in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series.
Edwards had his jumper going most of the night and scored 36 points while Towns took advantage of better matchups against Memphis than he had against the Clippers to finish with 29 points and 13 rebounds.
They helped make up for a 2-for-11 night from D'Angelo Russell, who finished with 10 points.
Ja Morant scored 32 points for the Grizzlies, who rarely led during the game. The Wolves did what any team hopes to do when it starts a playoff series on the road — take at least one game. Game 2 will be Tuesday in Memphis.
The start of the game could not have gone much better for the Wolves, who raced to a 9-2 lead and prompted Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins to call an early timeout. Towns shook off his bad night against the Clippers to post 12 points and five rebounds in the first quarter. More importantly for the Wolves, he didn't pick up any fouls.
Edwards had his jumper cooking in the early going and hit 5 of 7 to open. Because of this the Wolves led by as much as 13 early, 30-17. After a slow start for Memphis, Morant got them going.
He countered the Wolves' high-wall pick and roll coverage, something that has tended to give him problems throughout the season, by splitting the defense and getting into the lane. It was effective to the tune of 15 first-quarter points. That kept Memphis within striking distance, down 41-33 at the end of the first quarter.
The Wolves' bench played one of its worst games of the season the last time they played in Memphis, and it picked up where it left off in the second quarter. It gave back all of the lead within the first five minutes of the quarter. With the help of a 15-3 run, Memphis pulled ahead 51-49. It was an especially tough shift for Naz Reid, who picked up three fouls and committed three turnovers in four minutes in relief of Towns.
With 4 minutes, 44 seconds remaining there was a fan disruption for the second consecutive Wolves game as a woman chained herself to the basket near the Wolves bench. It was another protest on behalf of the animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere, which is protesting egg farms owned by Wolves and Star Tribune owner Glen Taylor.
Like it did Tuesday, the protest changed the energy in the arena, and the Wolves, who were reeling, went on another run. They scored five straight points to take a 59-51 lead. Their lead would shrink by the end of the quarter to 65-62 as both Edwards and Morant had 19.
The Grizzlies switched their defensive coverage on Towns in the second as they began doubling him with smaller players instead of attempting to guard him straight up with Steven Adams.
The Wolves maintained a small lead through most of the third thanks to Towns and Edwards.
Those two needed to carry the Wolves because they were getting little out of Russell, who was 1 for 10 through three quarters.
Whenever Memphis made a push, Edwards had an answer with a stepback jumper or a drive to the hoop. He had 31 points through three quarters and Towns had 24. Malik Beasley was the only other Wolves player in double figures at that point in the game as the Wolves carried a 97-92 lead into the fourth.
The Wolves pushed their lead to eight early in the quarter on a Beasley 3-pointer. They'd get it to nine with 5:23 to play when Jaden McDaniels put back a Towns airball.Then 10 with 4:34 left when Edwards drained another 3.
The dagger came on a sequence that McDaniels initiated with a stop of Morant at one end. Then on the offensive end, he spotted up in the corner for an open 3, burying it to put the Wolves up 120-111 with 1:39 to play. Fans began headed for the exits shortly after the ball dropped through the net.
