3 Reasons Timberwolves fans shouldn't worry despite 27-point loss
By Austin McGee
The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered their first loss of the postseason on Friday night. The Denver Nuggets came to Minneapolis and throttled the Timberwolves, dropping 117 points on the NBA's best defense.
Denver also stymied the Wolves' high-flying postseason offense. Friday night was Minnesota's first time scoring less than 100 points since early April. The Wolves shot 43.7 percent from the floor and 30.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Despite quick starts in the first two contests, Minnesota came out slow in Game 3. The sluggishness affected the Timberwolves throughout the first half. At one point, Minnesota trailed by 19 points in the second quarter.
The second half only got worse. The Nuggets built a 20-point lead just four minutes into the third quarter and kept their foot on the pedal. After allowing the Wolves to have whatever looks they wanted in Game 2, Denver canned 13-of-17 third-quarter field goals to keep Minnesota at bay.
The affair was all but over by the fourth quarter. Denver went on to win 117-90, their largest postseason victory. Despite the big loss, Wolves fans mustn't be concerned. Minnesota has dominated this postseason, and a fantastic game played by the defending champions isn't overly concerning.
3. The Wolves' offense will get back on track
Karl-Anthony Towns needs more shots. It's imperative the Minnesota coaching staff unleashes the All-Star forward ahead of Game 4. In the third game of the series, Towns only attempted seven shots—five of them being from beyond the arc. The Minnesota big man canned 4-of-5 triples on the night.
Aside from Towns' lack of involvement, the rest of the squad performed poorly on the offensive end. Mike Conley Jr. shot an uncharacteristic 3-of-9 from the floor. The reserves failed to make a difference, knocking down only 9-of-29 field goal attempts.
In comparison, Conley Jr. shot 7-of-13 over his first two games against the Nuggets. Furthermore, the bench unit showed out in back-to-back games. In Game 1, Naz Reid chipped in 16 points, including 14 in the final frame. In Game 2, both Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14 points. The latter scored in double-digits while harassing Denver guard Jamal Murray on the defensive end.
The poor offensive performance doomed the Wolves from the get-go. No Wolf scored more than 20 points in Game 3—the first such occurrence this postseason. At the center of it all is burgeoning Anthony Edwards. The All-Star guard scored 19 points, his lowest scoring total in over a year against Denver.
Getting Edwards back on track and Towns more touches will certainly be points of emphasis tonight. Fortunately for Wolves fans, there's a good chance both points will be achieved. Minnesota is 16-10 after a loss with their average margin of victory being 11.4 points.