Warriors’ defeat of Timberwolves demonstrates little has changed

The Timberwolves entered Wednesday night’s game with a lot of hope, but ultimately little had changed when it came to playing against the defending NBA Champions.

The Timberwolves came into Wednesday’s game against the Warriors riding a five-game winning streak — which, by the way, last occurred on the date that Barack Obama was sworn-in to office.

Wolves fans hoped a statement win would occur by beating the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. That, however, would not become a reality. Not even close.

Don’t Look Back

Coach Tom Thibodeau stated after they won five in a row: “If we’re looking back at what happened here, we won’t be ready for what’s coming.” While the Wolves kept it close in the first half, by the end of four quarters the team was looking backward.

KD Out

Kevin Durant was out for the game with a left thigh contusion and was replaced in the starting lineup by Andre Iguodala, who provided 11 points, three rebounds and one assist and kept the Warriors rolling.

The First Half Was Close

The Wolves and Warriors were tied at 24 at the end of the first quarter with the Warriors shooting 8-for-22 and 4-of-10 from 3-point range. At halftime, the Wolves only trailed by one point after producing 13 Golden State turnovers and plenty of hope going into the break.

Halftime Adjustments

Teams make adjustments at the break, and the Warriors showed why they are reigning champions and why the Wolves need to stay focused on the present.

In the second half, the Warriors reduced their turnovers, played stellar defense, and the entire team shot the ball with incredible accuracy. They shot 56.5 percent from the field, 77.8 percent from the line, and 41.7 percent from 3-point range. The Wolves ended the game shooting 41.3 percent from the field, 74.1 percent from the line, and a dismal 20.8 percent from deep.

Wolves Bench Was Dominated By The Warriors’ Reserves

While Warriors starters scored 68 points, their bench dominated the Wolves’ second and first team with 57 total points. Timberwolves starters scored 72 points, which in part was the result of Thibs keeping his starters in long after the game was lost.

The Timberwolves bench had been a big part of their five-game winning streak, but they simply didn’t show up at Golden State. The bench scored 29 points with Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad producing a little better than their respective averages and Crawford and Bjelica performing below their season averages.

The Warriors bench dominated with former Timberwolf Omir Casspi scoring a season-high 13 points. Nick Young scored 12 points of his own, which is seven points better than his season average.

Warriors Are Statistical Champs

Golden State leads the league in six of eight important performance categories. The Wolves are in the top-five in one of eight, and that category is steals, at 8.8 per game. This was evident in the first half, but the Warriors other strengths appeared and showed why they’ve been dominate for multiple seasons.

Timberwolves looked lost in the second half regardless of which Warriors were on the floor. The Wolves ball movement was atrocious, and the pick-and-roll game was virtually nonexistent.

A Wolves Rebound Will Demonstrate Change

If the Wolves can recover by beating the 4-7 Phoenix Suns on Saturday night, they’ll demonstrate that change has occurred. And that will help them wash this disappointing performance away.

Next: Looking Ahead To The Timberwolves' Next 10 Games

It’s a long season, and it’s best not to look back.