Former Illini Terrence Shannon Jr. shines in NBA Playoff win

It was a big night for the Minnesota Timberwolves as they notched their first victory of the Western Conference finals. After losing the first two games, the Timberwolves asserted their dominance early and won the game 143-101. With the game in hand from the start, it was a nice opportunity for former Illini Terrence Shannon Jr. to get some run. As he has done all year, Shannon Jr. made the most of limited minutes. In just 13 minutes, Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 15 points on 5-8 from the field. He showed great versatility in his offensive game, mixing up his fierce drives to the rim with a nice mid-range pull-up.

This has been the theme for Terrence’s rookie season with the Timberwolves as he is playing behind superstar Anthony Edwards and experienced veterans in Mike Conley Jr. and Donte DiVincenzo.

What’s Next?

Unless the games get out of hand, Shannon Jr. seems rather unlikely to play heavy minutes moving forward. Edwards, Conley Jr., and DiVincenzo are just too experienced and proven to be benched in the playoffs. However, the Timberwolves are down 2-1. They need some sort of spark to turn things around against the dominant Oklahoma City Thunder. Shannon Jr. may just be that explosive spark. He plays both sides of the ball, and provides exceptional rim pressure and transition support alongside Anthony Edwards. If the Timberwolves look to speed up their offensive tempo, then Terrence Shannon Jr. must be playing more minutes.

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