Dunking With Wolves
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Bucks, Brandon Knight best Wolves, 103-86

By Cody Gerrells

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For three quarters, our Timberwolves had themselves a competitive ball game.

After one the Bucks led 26-24. After the second they were up 51-47. And three quarters of the way through Milwaukee was only up two, at 72-70.

So why did things unravel in the fourth?  How did the final score end up at 103-86? Well, there’s not any one answer, but I like to think that our Wolves lost this game in the first 36 minutes, despite what the scoreboard may have indicated, and that the fourth was just an accurate representation of what we truly deserved.

In other words: we blew this game.

Sure, we were never down by more than four at the end of any of the first three quarters, but the score doesn’t indicate all the missed opportunities that the Wolves left out there on the floor.

Missed free throws, terrible turnovers, and just general stupidity were there at seemingly every turn. Every time we had some momentum, somebody was clanking a free throw; each time we made a push, somebody stepped out of bounds; every time we really needed to make a play, we just weren’t able to get the job done.

We’ve gotta give Milwaukee credit for the way they played down the stretch, but the Wolves’ bad habits were what blew the door off its hinges. In other words, this mess was of our own doing.

On the game the Wolves shot 62% from the line on 21-34 attempts. That’s 13 misses for those of you who like subtraction. The Bucks? They only missed one: 95% on 18 of 19 attempts.

I don’t know if that says it all, but it certainly says enough.

This was one of those games where “it was closer than final score made it out to be.” Yet with the way we played tonight, we got exactly what we deserved.

Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving so I doubt Flip will have the guys do too much in terms of practice before the team flies out to Los Angeles to play the Lakers, but in the back of his mind he must be thinking of some sort of tortuous practice to whip these boys into shape.

Maybe turkey first. Then some stuffing second. Suicides third?

Barf…

Quick Takes

  • Despite the loss, Wolves give us plenty to be thankful for. It’s great to have Thad Young back. He really struggled to find his rhythm tonight in his first game after spending much of the last couple of weeks mourning with his family. However, his presence and veteran leadership will be invaluable as we try to steady the ship throughout the holiday season. Welcome back, Thad!
  • Andrew Wiggins vs. Jabari Parker showdown. Tonight was the first ever regular season showdown between the top two picks from the 2014 draft. Jabari finished with 11 points, 7 boards and 3 assists, while Andrew managed 14 points, 8 rebounds, 4 dimes, and a couple of monster blocks. Wiggins’ numbers were slightly better, but Parker’s team grabbed the win. I call it a wash.
  • Teenage wasteland. Speaking of young phenoms, the Wolves and Bucks set an NBA record tonight by starting a combined four teenagers for the very first time in NBA history. Wiggins and LaVine got the nod for the Wolves, While Parker and “Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo got the start for the Bucks. Each of the four teens scored in double figures. Not bad for a bunch of kids…

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