Minnesota Timberwolves: Player grades from loss to Clippers
By Ben Beecken
The Minnesota Timberwolves went back to their losing ways on Tuesday night as they were handled with relative ease by the Los Angeles Clippers.
Final. 111. 86. 122. 77
After breaking a five-game losing streak with a road win in Memphis on Saturday, the Minnesota Timberwolves came out flat against the Clippers at home on Tuesday.
The Wolves fell behind by more than 20 points in the first quarter, ultimately giving up 42 points in the frame and trailing by 19 heading into the second.
The defense was horrendous, as the Wolves allowed a decent-shooting team to look like a squad full of Steph Currys and Klay Thompsons from beyond the arc, knocking down a dozen threes before Minnesota even got to five on the night.
The Wolves were okay on offense and for the most part rebounded the ball well, but struggled to find enough want-to to rotate correctly on defense and scramble to the right place at the right time.
Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t make his first shot from the field until the third quarter, and while he finished with numbers right in line with his season averages it was one of the worst games he’d played since the All-Star break.
Minnesota trailed by 20 at halftime, but used a quick third-quarter flurry to get within 10. By the fourth, however, the Clippers built the lead back up to 15.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Timberwolves had one more push in them, pulling to within six points. But Andrew Wiggins missed a shot at the rim and the Clippers went on a rapid 7-0 run to basically put the game out of reach.
Center. Minnesota Timberwolves. KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS. B. While Towns struggled from the field, he still scored 24 points on 17 shots due to a 10-for-11 mark from the free throw line. He also grabbed 13 rebounds, dished out three assists, and nabbed two steals in 35 minutes. The Clippers did a great job doubling him almost immediately on the catch all night long, and Towns struggled to get going.
B-. Wiggins was active again in this one, but he was horribly inefficient. The Wolves wing shot just 9-for-21 from the field, scoring 22 points and adding three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. It was a typical Wiggins game: easy missed shots, unnecessarily difficult, contested jump shots, and a couple of impressive forays to the rim.. Guard/Forward. Minnesota Timberwolves. ANDREW WIGGINS
Power Forward. Minnesota Timberwolves. DARIO SARIC. A-. Saric was great in this one, finishing with 18 points (7-10 FG, 2-3 3P, 2-2 FT) and five rebounds in 27 minutes. He continues to make a case for more playing time, although <a rel=
Okogie provided his patented energy once again, contributing a solid line of nine points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block in 34 minutes. He did miss both of his 3-point shot attempts and continues to underscore just how important it will be for him to come back to the team in the fall with at least a league-average stroke from beyond the arc.. Guard/Forward. Minnesota Timberwolves. JOSH OKOGIE. B
ANTHONY TOLLIVER. D. Tolliver had a poor game, shooting 0-for-4 from the field and missing all three of his 3-point attempts. He grabbed three rebounds in 21 minutes and didn’t tally any other statistics. At this point, Tolliver is simply taking minutes from Saric.. Forward. Minnesota Timberwolves
C+. Bates-Diop once again showed flashes, scoring a couple of times on nice drives and dives to the rim. Ultimately, that led to seven points on seven shots, two rebounds, and two steals in 18 minutes. KBD is another player who the Wolves would benefit from seeing more of in place of the likes of Tolliver.. Forward. Minnesota Timberwolves. KEITA BATES-DIOP
B+. Dieng had another strong game off the bench while spelling Towns, putting up four points, five rebounds, and two steals in 12 minutes.. Forward/Center. Minnesota Timberwolves. GORGUI DIENG
The rest of the players
Jerryd Bayless was active in his 18 minutes of playing time, stuffing the stat sheet with eight points (4-10 FG, 0-2 3P, 1-5 FT), four rebounds, three assists, and one steal. If he’d shot even slightly better from the floor or from the free throw line, it would have been a solid performance.
Cameron Reynolds played six minutes, scoring five points on 2-of-5 shooting and grabbing a pair of rebounds.
Two-way players C.J. Williams and Jared Terrell each played two minutes in garbage time and didn’t put up any numbers at all.
Next. Remaining silver linings to Wolves' season.... dark
What’s Next?
The Timberwolves will once again enjoy two consecutive days off before hosting the Golden State Warriors at 7 p.m. on Friday night.