Going for a season-high sixth consecutive win on Saturday afternoon, the Minnesota Timberwolves were unable to get the job done. Scoring outside of Anthony Edwards came at a premium, and they fell by the score of 119-92 to the Orlando Magic.
That continues what has been a struggle for the Wolves this season. While the sample size isn’t all that large, they haven’t performed well in outings that have earlier tip-offs.
Timberwolves proving not to be early birds
Last Sunday, the Timberwolves finally notched their first win in an earlier game. They defeated the Denver Nuggets 117-108 after losing the first three contests this season against their Northwest Division rival. It was a feel-good moment, mostly because of the battles they have experienced of late with Denver, and the overtime loss to the Nuggets on Christmas Day was a game they perhaps should have won.
That is still their sole victory in a game that is scheduled for no later than 2:30 PM (central time zone). Saturday’s game against Orlando was a 2 PM start, and the Timberwolves shot just 35.7 percent from the field (22.5 percent on threes) in the losing effort.
There are three other instances besides Denver and Orlando where the Wolves had an earlier start. In those outings, they lost by 19 to the Los Angeles Clippers, 12 to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and 24 to the Atlanta Hawks. Particularly against the Clippers and Hawks, those performances seemed lifeless for Minnesota at times.
Do the math, and in those five early games, the Timberwolves have been outscored by a total of 73 points (14.6 points per outing).
Only one early game remaining on the regular season schedule
Luckily, there is just one earlier game left on the schedule for the Timberwolves of the 18 regular season games that they have remaining. That comes next Sunday when they go on the road to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In the playoffs, there is a chance of an earlier game or two, but they won’t be often. Game 4 of their opening round matchup last year against the Los Angeles Lakers was a 2:30 PM start. As such, it's crucial that they find a way to turn ar
Again, it’s just five games (and eventually six), but Minnesota’s subpar play in these games could cause them to be a lower playoff seed once we reach the end of the regular season. They currently sit mere percentage points behind the Houston Rockets for third in the Western Conference, while sitting one game above the Denver Nuggets and 1.5 ahead of the Lakers.