Mike Conley has sharp criticism of Timberwolves clutch offense

The Minnesota Timberwolves' eight-game winning streak came to a screeching halt on Monday against the Pacers. Indiana sits in the No. 5 spot in the East, so the Pacers are far from a bad team, but the starting lineup they trotted out wasn't exactly their best.

Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Neismith, and Myles Turner didn't play for various reasons. Andrew Nembhard was ejected in the third quarter, along with Rudy Gobert. You'd think the red-hot Timberwolves would've left the court with a win, right? Obi Toppin had different plans.

Minnesota reverted back to its old ways of losing to short-handed teams at home. The Timberwolves didn't just play down to their opponent -- they played worse. They let the Pacers go on a 14-0 run to start the second quarter, were down by 14 at the half, and let Toppin shoot 7-of-10 from three, including the game-winner in overtime.

There were a lot of negative takeaways from the loss, with the team's clutch-time offense taking center stage again for all the wrong reasons. It was the team's 24th loss in the clutch this season, the worst in the league.

Mike Conley was asked about Minnesota's clutch-time execution (or lack thereof) and said he and his teammates weren't on the same page, and things were "scrambled." He said it wasn't on Chris Finch but that the players on the floor must execute plays. Conley noted how important operating in clutch time will be down the stretch and the postseason.

Timberwolves' clutch-time offense continues to hurt them in OT loss

Minnesota recorded two turnovers before it hit its first shot in overtime, a jumper from Anthony Edwards with 2:37 left. Edwards and Julius Randle hit two free throws apiece before then. The Timberwolves jumped out to a 126-123 lead with two minutes left thanks to a bank shot from Conley, the team's last made shot of the game.

Monday's matchup should've never gone to overtime. Edwards had the chance to win it at the end of regulation, but he didn't get a good look. He tossed up a step-back shot that banged off the rim. Randle was in a similar position in overtime but missed a midrange jumper, ending the game.

Minnesota made ill-advised decisions on the offensive end that turned into points for Indiana on the other end. Edwards got to the free-throw line 20 times (and made 19) but couldn't overcome his Achilles heel that is hitting clutch-time shots. Poor shot selection played a significant role in that (and in the game as a whole for the Wolves).

Like Conley said, it's not like the Timberwolves can avoid clutch-time scenarios. They're only going to become more important, with Minnesota sitting No. 7 in the West, one game behind Golden State and one game ahead of the Clippers. Every game matters in a packed Western Conference.

The Timberwolves need to use the loss as a wake-up call, or their playoff dreams could go down the drain.