Timberwolves matador defense to blame for another loss to Detroit – Twin Cities

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After three impressive straight performances at home against playoff-caliber competition last week, Minnesota has spent its next two games reminding everyone why it still sits two games below .500 more than halfway through the season.

The Timberwolves don’t take the game, or their opponents, seriously enough on a consistent basis.

After losing 90% of its victory over the ill-fated Rockets on Sunday in Houston, Minnesota was dead defensively during Wednesday’s 135-118 loss to the Pistons in Detroit. Losses to Detroit now sandwich Minnesota’s four-game winning streak that ended Wednesday.

In neither of Minnesota’s last two road fights against inferior opponents have the Timberwolves really protected anyone for long stretches of the game. The Pistons waltzed into the lane at will. These workouts ended with either edge buckets or kicks for the triples. Detroit is a below-average 3-point shooting team, but went 17-for-32 from range Wednesday.

“The ball pressure was non-existent. We just didn’t get into the ball, we didn’t make them feel uncomfortable. Then the ball containment was poor and the fencing was poor,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch told reporters after the game. “There was no impact on defense anywhere.”

The sharpshooting performance came a night after the Pistons were down 31 points in Philadelphia. It looked early that Minnesota would deliver a similar loss as Wolves took a 10-0 lead in the opening 2 minutes, but that dominance would not hold.

The contest turned into an athletic encounter for the remainder of the half, with Detroit leading 65-64 at the break. But from there, the Pistons left the Timberwolves in their dust.

“It starts on the ball. We just haven’t been very good at containing the ball,” Finch said, “and when we go through those stretches we find it very difficult to keep people down.

Anthony Edwards missed most of the third quarter with hip pain, an ailment that continues to plague the third-year guard. Edwards was initially ruled out but returned late in the third with Minnesota at 13 points. Edwards played the entire fourth quarter, tallying 15 points in the final frame, but his comeback did little to inspire those around him.

When asked if he considered pulling Edwards in the fourth when Minnesota was facing a 20-point deficit, Finch replied, “Not really. If he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go.

Edwards’ presence was needed on a night when Wolves were without Kyle Anderson, who missed the game through illness. Minnesota (20-22) is still without Jordan McLaughlin and Karl-Anthony Towns, both of whom continue to struggle with calf strains. Detroit (12-33) also lost ground, but fared much better in overcoming injuries.

Because of this, Wolves were swept away by one of the worst teams in the NBA. That’s no surprise this season given Minnesota’s inability to perform against teams with lesser records. These types of losses keep piling up and could very well be the reason why Wolves are disappointed with their playoff positioning in April.

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