Timberwolves Wrap: Falling by the wayside

After a furious charge following the All-Star break that led many to believe the resurgent Timberwolves could make the postseason for the first time in 13 years, another losing streak has reared it’s ugly head.

The playoffs are now but a pipe dream, Timberwolves fans.

The losing streak is now three games, but this one included an extra gut-punch as the New Orleans Pelicans, still just 4-7 with headlining acquisition DeMarcus Cousins in the lineup, leapfrogged the Wolves in the Western Conference standings in the wake of Sunday evening’s win.

Minnesota is now five games out of the eighth-spot in the West with 13 games to play and three teams standing between them and the Denver Nuggets, who hold a one-game lead on #8.

The three losses have all come on the road, and they’ve largely seen the Wolves compete early, even holding modest leads for a period of time, but collapsing towards the end of quarters and ultimately, down the stretch. Of course, it hasn’t helped that right when the bench seemed to be playing better, Lance Stephenson‘s role was undefined and he was re-injured, and now Nemanja Bjelica is out for the season. That means that Shabazz Muhammad, Kris Dunn, and Tyus Jones are the only reserves to speak of in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.

On Sunday night, the Wolves held a double-digit first half lead and led by six points at halftime. But the Pelicans put up 40 points in the third quarter and outscored the Wolves by 10 in both the third and fourth frames to salt the game away with ease.

Karl-Anthony Towns was dominate on offense — especially in the first half — but was pushed around in the paint by Anthony Davis and Cousins. KAT only grabbed six rebounds in 39 minutes of play, while Davis scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Cousins had 15 and 11 of his own.

Andrew Wiggins played another decent game as he hopefully trends into an upswing to finish the season. He shot 10-of-19 from the field and put up 25 points although he committed an uncharacteristic five turnovers and didn’t put up a number north of two in any other box score statistic.

Ricky Rubio was very good once again, although his 20-point scoring streak came to a close in his 10-point, 14-assist performance. And Muhammad was fantastic off the bench, knocking down 8-of-13 shots en route to 20 points and six rebounds in just 24 minutes.

The Wolves will need a miracle to make the playoffs at this point. But if nothing else, they must stabilize themselves in the final few weeks of the season to feel good about an odd season and head into the summer with some semblance of momentum.

Star of the Night

Anthony Davis: 28 points (11-16 FG, 0-2 3P, 6-6 FT), 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 turnovers

Nobody had eye-popping numbers in this game, and KAT would have won this honor had he done any damage on the glass or done a better job of checking his counterparts in the paint. While Towns’ one-on-one defense against AD wasn’t all bad, Davis simply made tough shots.

Davis did have five turnovers, but he was extraordinarily efficient from the field and did enough to get his team the win on a modest night from Cousins.

Notable Timberwolves Lines

• Karl-Anthony Towns: 33 points (14-27 FG, 4-8 3P, 1-2 FT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, one steal, 3 turnovers
• Andrew Wiggins: 25 points (10-19 FG, 0-3 3P, 5-7 FT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 5 turnovers
• Shabazz Muhammad: 20 points (8-13 FG, 1-3 3P, 3-5 FT), 6 rebounds, one assist, one steal, one turnover
• Ricky Rubio: 10 points (4-10 FG, 2-5 3P), 14 assists, 3 rebounds, one steal, 3 turnovers

Towns was very good, as mentioned, although he attempted a boatload of threes while only getting to the line for two free throw attempts on the night. The paint battle with both Davis and Cousins was rough, to be sure.

Next: Ricky Rubio Is Recapturing The Magic

Who’s Up Next?

The Wolves head back home for a Tuesday night battle with the San Antonio Spurs. The game won’t tip-off until 8:30 p.m. as it will be televised on ESPN.