The Minnesota Timberwolves hung around and had a chance to win on Monday but ultimately fell to the Atlanta Hawks on the road.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were short-handed for their Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee against the Atlanta Hawks, and despite playing hard and hanging around until the final minute, suffered yet another loss.
The Hawks committed a whopping 24 turnovers but also grabbed 14 steals and turned the Wolves over 17 times on the other end of the floor.
The Wolves got a huge game from D’Angelo Russell but the rest of the team struggled mightily offensively. The defense was active, but after the Wolves pulled to within six points on a couple of occasions in the final minutes of the game, Minnesota simply couldn’t stop the Hawks.
The effort and energy from the Wolves without Karl-Anthony Towns, Juancho Hernangomez, or Ricky Rubio was notable and significant; it just wasn’t enough.
It’s too bad, because the Hawks didn’t play all that much and it was certainly a winnable game. But alas, the Wolves record now stands at 3-9 with at least a handful more games upcoming without Towns available.
Minnesota Timberwolves Player Grades
Other Minnesota Timberwolves Players
Jarrett Culver had his best game in what feels like two weeks. He had seven points, five rebounds, and three steals in 19 minutes off the bench and played solid on both ends of the floor. This type of performance is exactly what the Wolves need to get from him a nightly basis.
Ed Davis played a solid game, providing more defensive resistance than Reid and pulling down four rebounds in 14 minutes. He also had four points and two steals.
Jaden McDaniels played his first non-garbage time minutes and hit a 3-pointer, but that’s about all he did. He was 1-of-4 shooting, with three of his attempts coming from beyond the arc, and he had only a single rebound in 12 minutes.
Jordan McLaughlin mostly struggled as the backup point guard in this one. He had four points, four assists, and two rebounds in 19 minutes but shot only 2-for-7 from the field and was 0-of-3 on 3-point attempts.
Up next for the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves are headed back home to take on the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. We already know that both Towns and Hernangomez are out, although presumably there would be a chance that Ricky Rubio could be available to play. Stay tuned.