Wolves Wrap: Wolves fall to Thunder, 92-84

84. 86. 92. 149. Final

If you love terrible shooting and stagnant offense, than this was the contest of your dreams.

The Wolves’ offensive issues were on full display on Monday night in Oklahoma City. It was a shame, considering the absence of Kevin Durant (late scratch with a sprained toe) and the offensive issues that Russell Westbrook and most of the rest of the Thunder had.

And part of that was due to the Wolves defense. It was actually pretty solid, and putting Andrew Wiggins on Westbrook paid huge dividends, as the superstar point guard shot a horrific 7 of 22 from the field, including starting just 4 of 19 before making his final three attempts of the night. Of course, Mo Williams countered with with an 1 of 10 night himself, including 1 of 6 from three-point range, so there’s that.

The Wolves trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half but trailed by eight at halftime and kept the lead at ten points or less for the entirety of the contest. It was a solid second half largely spurred by Thaddeus Young’s hot shooting and Wiggins’ continued aggressiveness and activity.

Minnesota got within three points at one point early in the fourth quarter, but then fell back into their stagnant offense. The Thunder, on the other hand, simply outworked the Wolves on the glass and while they weren’t exactly hot from the floor either, they chased down their misses and made more possessions count.

Down the stretch, the Thunder were able to grind out the victory with the Wolves never getting closer than seven points in the fourth quarter. It was a disappointing end to a game that the Wolves had a legitimate chance to steal, but the silver lining is that they once again were not blown out. Or something.

Star of the Game

Thaddeus Young (22 points on 8 of 20 shooting, 6 of 6 free throws, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals)

Sure, the Wolves lost, but if it wasn’t Young or Wiggins than it would be nobody. The Thunder were led by Westbrook’s 15 points, but he took 21 shots to get those points. Serge Ibaka pulled down 18 rebounds but only scored 13 points and committed three turnovers.

Other than a few forced shots in the second half, Young was everything the Wolves expected him to be when they swapped a first-round pick for him back in August. He made floaters in the lane, open jumpers, and actually converted from the free throw line. Don’t look now, but Young is finally coming on. Add in a Ricky Rubio and Kevin Martin and things get a little more interesting.

Tweet of the Night

All that athleticism and LaVine still prefers to settle for jumpers. Needs to attack
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) January 27, 2015

To add to Krawczynski’s thought…yes, a million times, yes. LaVine again showed flashes of competency when he chose to use his insane athleticism to get to the rim, even finishing through contact a couple of times. But right after doing that and hitting a long three-pointer, he settled for a few more long, contested two-point shots.

He finished with a line of 11 points (3 of 9 shooting), 5 rebounds, one assist, and one turnover in 23 minutes.

Stat of the Night

Do I have to? So many to choose from, once again. And they all represent the Wolves’ offensive futility. Again.

Minnesota shot just 34.1% from the floor, including just 2 of 13 (15.4%) from beyond the arc. Things are gross right now. Really, really gross.

Notable Lines:

Andrew Wiggins: 23 points (7-14 FG, 0-1 3PT, 9-12 FT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers
Thaddeus Young: 22 points (8-20 FG, 0-1 3PT, 6-6 FT), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers
Gorgui Dieng: 6 points, 18 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists, 2 turnovers

Who’s Got Next?

The Wolves return home to Minnesota tonight and will host the Boston Celtics at Target Center on Wednesday night.

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