Timberwolves triumph in NBA Play-In finale was a huge team success

There is a great deal of temptation nowadays to play the ‘blame game,’ take an arbitrary but unfortunate outcome and sensationalize that disappointment by laying out a fictitious cause and effect that oftentimes has next to nothing to do with the contributing factors to that outcome.

Take the Minnesota Timberwolves’ recent loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Timberwolves were severely outmanned and outgunned, they were playing in Los Angeles, and the officiating in that game was arguably quite pro-Lakers. Foul trouble for a thin roster creates incredibly challenging problems, from forcing a less aggressive mindset to actual on-court fatigue.

It really did not help the Timberwolves roster one iota to be forced into overtime.

The blame after the game was dished out to Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch, to All-Star center Rudy Gobert, to Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly. Perhaps they all owned a piece of that loss. Perhaps far more players and coaches and even executives owned a share of the responsibility for that loss.

Who was responsible for the Minnesota Timberwolves win?

So who are we congratulating for that stellar victory against a very hot Oklahoma City Thunder? If we are more than willing to doll out blame, we ought to be equally enthusiastic about identifying those responsible for putting the Minnesota Timberwolves into the winner’s circle.

In short, you might as well congratulate everyone, as Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch suggests in his post-game press conference.  It’s almost funny how Coach Finch has the same demeanor in front of the microphone whether this team wins or loses. But the post-game messaging was pretty positive, even for Coach Finch:

This was a total team victory, the type of win that can act as a catalyst for the entire Timberwolves roster. Only Austin Rivers and Wendell Moore Jr., two players who entered the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder to finish off the final three minutes had a (+/-) rating of -1. No player who competed during the game had a (+/-) rating of less than +7.

This has been a team that has been beset by injuries, adversity, and a persistent level of unfamiliarity all season. The Timberwolves roster needed this type of win, particularly as they embark on a difficult course through the NBA Playoffs. If there were any doubts before, they have all been dispelled. The Minnesota Timberwolves are a dangerous team right now. And it has coalesced these players into a determined team just in the nick of time.