Short-handed but sure-handed. On December 14, the Minnesota Timberwolves kept their roll going, beating the Sacramento Kings 117-103 at home. They did it without their star guard Anthony Edwards (right foot soreness) and steady veteran Mike Conley (Achilles). The plan was simple: defend, rebound, and share. The execution was better than simple — it was sharp.

Julius Randle paced the Wolves with 24 points. Jaden McDaniels added 21 with calm and control. Naz Reid poured in 20 and grabbed 11 rebounds. Minnesota has now won seven of its last eight and is 17-9, including a dominant 14-1 record against teams with losing records. The season series against Sacramento? Wrapped up at 3-1, a tidy answer to a quirky schedule that forced four meetings in the Wolves’ first 26 games.

Shorthanded Wolves, big-time answers

With Edwards and Conley out, the question was who would make the offense go. Randle gave the box-score answer, but this was a group effort. Minnesota shot 46% from the field (43-for-93), moved the ball for 25 assists, and kept mistakes low with just 11 turnovers. The approach was patient and smart — get downhill, touch the paint, spray to shooters, and trust the next pass.

Reid’s two-way spark mattered. His 20 points and 11 boards stabilized the second and third quarters. McDaniels’ 21 came on confident attacks and timely cuts. That balance was the difference with two key guards out.

“Is this the Naz and Jaden growth game the Wolves needed?”

Two runs that broke the Kings’ rhythm

Sacramento’s defense was active early. They bothered Minnesota’s timing and turned ball pressure into stops. But games swing fast on droughts, and the Kings suffered two of them.

• A 14-0 Timberwolves burst flowed into the second quarter and flipped control.
• A 15-0 Minnesota run in the third pushed the gap to a place the Kings could not reach.

These were not lucky spurts. They were built on stops, glass work, and quick decisions. Minnesota won the rebound battle 47-36 and limited the Kings to 37-of-81 shooting. When the Wolves stacked stops, the Kings’ offense lost its pace and shape.

Box score check: numbers that matter

• Minnesota: 46% FG, 32% from three (12-for-37), 70% at the line (19-for-27).
• Sacramento: 37-of-81 FG, 10-of-23 from three, 19-of-25 FT.
• Assists/turnovers: Wolves 25/11; Kings 21/15.
• Glass: Wolves +11 (47-36), the quiet engine of the night.

That last line tells you a lot. Extra boards meant extra shots. Extra shots plus fewer turnovers meant control.

Rudy Gobert’s early exit — and Minnesota’s response

Rudy Gobert left the game in the third quarter for personal reasons. He had already vacuumed 12 rebounds in just 20 minutes. It could have rattled a thin rotation. It did not. The Wolves tightened their shell on defense and leaned on Reid and team rebounding to close the night.

“If this is Minnesota’s floor without Ant, the West is in trouble.”

Kings’ spiral continues amid injuries

It was another tough result for Sacramento, now 6-20 after dropping 15 of its last 18. That’s tracking toward their worst winning percentage since the 2008-09 season (17-65). The night turned worse when leading scorer Zach LaVine exited in the second quarter with an ankle injury. Without his shot-making, the Kings struggled to keep pace when the Wolves turned up the pressure.

There were bright spots. DeMar DeRozan, Dennis Schroder, and Precious Achiuwa each scored 17 points. Schroder, returning from a hip injury, gave them tempo. Keegan Murray swatted a career-high five shots, a clear sign of his growing defensive impact. Still, the Kings’ 15 turnovers and long scoring droughts cost them the chance to steal one on the road.

Revenge served in the season series

This matchup carried a little edge. Back on November 24, the Wolves lost 117-112 in overtime at Sacramento after blowing a 10-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation. Minnesota did not let that déjà vu happen again. The Wolves’ defense squeezed late, the half-court offense kept moving, and there was no opening for a last gasp.

It also ends a quirky run: four Timberwolves-Kings games played in the first 26 of Minnesota’s season. The Wolves walked away 3-1 in the series, an early tiebreaker that could matter down the line.

“Four meetings in 26 games? The schedule chose chaos — and Minnesota handled it.”

Why this win travels

There is a simple reason this result will age well for Minnesota: the habits showed up. They defended first. They rebounded with force. They did not beat themselves. The Wolves are now 14-1 against losing teams, a mark of professionalism more than flash. Nights like this build trust inside a locker room, especially when stars sit.

The box score also points to a reliable blueprint when Edwards is out: play through Randle’s strength, let Reid and McDaniels attack gaps, and keep the ball hopping. It was not perfect (32% from three, 70% at the line), but it was plenty good because the defense never sagged.

Around the night

Elsewhere on the slate, guards across the league put up numbers. Donte DiVincenzo and Bones Hyland each dropped 18 points in their respective games — a reminder of the wave of scoring and creation coming from the backcourt position. On this court, Schroder’s return from a hip issue mattered for the Kings, even if the final score did not.

What’s next

For Minnesota, the takeaway is belief. Winning without Edwards and Conley, while losing Gobert mid-game, shows a deeper spine. The West will test that, but this is how a top-four seed is built — one steady, short-handed win at a time.

For Sacramento, it is about health and clarity. LaVine’s ankle status looms. The defense had bursts of real bite, but the droughts keep undoing the effort. Clean up the turnovers, find late-clock answers, and the tide can turn. Until then, the record is the record, and the margin for error is thin.

Bottom line: the Wolves keep stacking proof that their style works, no matter who suits up. The Kings must find answers fast, or this slide will define their winter.