Timberwolves Gobert sets record as game hangs on balance until final buzzer

If you wanted to find fault with the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener, there is plenty of fodder to work with. The Timberwolves put up a tremendous lead in the first half, but then the team relaxed, got sloppy, and gave up that lead to turn a blowout win into a last-second white knuckler.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Timberwolves fans have high expectations for the team this season, but you can be sure that the team is under no misconception that opponents will roll over and play dead when facing them. The Timberwolves are truly undertaking a season that will be all OJT, or on-the-job training, in the early going this season.

The Timberwolves were as hot and cold as feared, where the team appeared unbeatable at times, but also appeared to be on their way to gifting a lottery pick to the Utah Jazz.

A rough start to the season

Had the Timberwolves’ schedule pitted this team against the Golden State Warriors or the Denver Nuggets to open the season, the game could have gotten out of hand quickly.

Instead, the game was against an energetic, young, and intriguing Oklahoma City Thunder. That may have settled some things for the Timberwolves players by forcing them to commit to playing hard from start to finish. That type of energy was exactly what the Timberwolves needed to face at the onset of this season.

Because this team has the talent to outclass some opponents, there is a constant risk of the team letting down, and that clearly happened in this one. The nice part is that the team did fight through the doldrums.

So what about the team was particularly concerning in the opener?