The Timberwolves had a real chance to continue their late-season momentum into April, but the effort and want-to was simply not there in an embarrassing loss to the tanking Sacramento Kings.
Timberwolves fans have grown accustom to the ol’ zero-defense look over the past few weeks, and Saturday night was no different.
Well, actually, it was worse. They allowed a depleted Kings team full of non-scoring young players and middling veterans who clearly had no desire to be present.
The Wolves allowed Ty Lawson to drop 21 points on eight shots in just 25 minutes, as they were simply unable to contain the still-quick veteran whenever he chose to turn the corner off the pick-and-roll. Tom Thibodeau’s vaunted ICE defense was, put simply Swiss cheese on this night. Karl-Anthony Towns was so lackadaisical in his attempt to cut-off the baseline at one point late in the fourth quarter with the game still somewhat in question that Coach Thibs called for Adreian Payne to play his first non-blowout minutes in months.
It was miserable, and in a strange twist, only Andrew Wiggins showed up to play on the offensive end in this one. Wiggins had 32 points on 20 shots and hit 4-of-7 three-pointers, while Ricky Rubio made just one of 10 shot attempts from the field and Towns dropped a quiet 26 points and 11 rebounds. And trust me, there is such a thing as a ‘quiet’ 26 and 11.
There’s a longer piece to be written about the lack of effort and how much blame should be placed on Thibodeau and his coaching staff, especially in light of Britt Robson’s thought-provoking piece over at MinnPost.com. So stay tuned for that…
Star of the Night
Ty Lawson: 21 points (5-8 points, 0-1 3P, 11-14 FT), 11 assists, 2 rebounds, one steal, one turnover
I never thought I would list Ty Lawson as a player of the game again, but this was a surprisingly (and embarrassingly, for the Wolves) dominating performance. The Wolves’ pick-and-roll strategy relies on the big men to trap guards and not allow them to turn the corner, and Towns was a step slow all night.
The Wolves guards didn’t do a great job staying in front of him, either, but his perimeter shots were largely contested and the Kings’ point guard did much of his damage in the paint and subsequently, at the free throw line.
Notable Timberwolves Lines
- Andrew Wiggins: 32 points (13-20 FG, 4-7 3P, 2-6 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, one block, one turnover
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 26 points (8-17 FG, 1-5 3P, 9-10 FT), 11 rebounds, 2 assists, one steal, 5 turnovers
- Ricky Rubio: 11 points (1-10 FG, 0-3 3P, 9-10 FT), 13 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 turnovers
Wiggins was solid all evening, keeping the Wolves in the game with a fourth quarter surge. Towns was okay on offense but his shot refused to fall as the game progressed, and the five turnovers, combined with the unsightly defense, meant that this game was one of Towns’ most disappointing of the season.
Rubio was nigh unstoppable in the first quarter, finishing the frame with seven points and seven assists, but he had just four points and six assists the rest of the way. He controlled the offense well, per usual, but his shot was off all night with his only make coming on a layup in traffic early in the first quarter.
Who’s Up Next?
The Timberwolves will host the Portland Trail Blazers at 6:00 p.m. Central Time on Monday in the makeup game for March’s postponement due to condensation on the court at Target Center. The early start time is due to the that evening’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Final.
Next: Revisiting Wrong Preseason Timberwolves Predictions
Also of note: Portland eliminated the Wolves from playoff contention on Saturday night with a win over Phoenix, combined with Minnesota’s loss to the Kings.