Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 takeaways from nail-biting loss to Suns

Minnesota Timberwolves’ defense rebounds against a tough challenge

Despite the inability to get stops down the stretch, Minnesota should feel good about the defensive performance overall.

The Wolves defense had its poorest performance against the LA Clippers on Saturday, as Finch groused about their inability to contain dribble penetration. The Suns entered the contest third in points per game and first in field goal percentage, so it seemed likely to be the second straight game an opponent tore Minnesota to pieces.

The Wolves had other ideas, however, contesting virtually every shot through the first three quarters. The Suns flashed their patented beautiful, patient ball movement for a few possessions at a time here and there, but Minnesota cut off their lanes and made things difficult for the most part.

Anthony Edwards struggled mightily offensively, but still made an impact with a few highlight defensive plays and 12 rebounds. D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley each had two steals, and the guards as a whole helped make up for Naz Reid’s absence with some crucial box-outs in the second half.

“We talked about being better at the point of attack, and I thought we did an excellent job of getting out and contesting shots, which we knew we were going to have to do,” Finch said.

The Suns, who shot 47.7 percent coming into the game, finished with a 36.5 field goal percentage for the night, their season-low. Their 99 points were their second-lowest scoring output for the season. It’s hard to stop players of Booker and Paul’s caliber when it matters most, but Minnesota should take pride in slowing down such a hot team.