Game 2 against the San Antonio Spurs might have been the most uncompetitive game the Minnesota Timberwolves have played all season. It looked like they mailed it in in the second quarter with their complete lack of ball movement and transition defense.
While there are probably zero positives to take away from this game, the Wolves will go back to Target Center tied at one game apiece, which is far from the worst possible outcome.
Anthony Edwards is playing at what looks like 50 percent, and Ayo Dosunmu is dealing with injuries as well. They also haven't played particularly well in either game, so the fact that they had enough willpower to squeak by in Game 1 might prove beneficial with home court advantage now being in the Wolves' favor.
Still, the Wolves displayed a lot of concerning signs both from a basketball and a mindset standpoint.
The Timberwolves haven't lost at home in these playoffs yet
Against Denver, Target Center was extremely rowdy, and the fans gave an injured team a much-needed jolt of energy. The Wolves won all three home games against Denver in pretty convincing fashion, too.
They held the number one offense in all of basketball to under 100 points in all three games of that series. Conversely, they haven't held a team below 100 in a road playoff game yet.
It's clear that Minnesota's defensive identity shows its brightest colors under the Target Center lights. Whether the players feel more empowered by the fans to exert more energy on that side of the ball, or the saying "role players play better at home," couldn't be truer.
Either way, Minnesota's home court has proven to be one of the toughest environments for opponents in the playoffs so far. This may have factored into the Wolves taking their foot off the gas, but it's still concerning to see this mindset from a team with championship aspirations.
This mindset leaves little room for error
Splitting the first two games of the series isn't what was most concerning about Game 2. It was how little fight they showed. I understand being ready to go home, but rolling over in any playoff game isn't a good look, because now a young team with their first taste of the playoffs has some real confidence.
If the Wolves take care of business in Games 3 and 4, it probably won't matter, but the Spurs aren't the Nuggets. They play with more fight, they're more athletic, and they have some gamewreckers on defense.
The Wolves will not only need to battle a lot harder than they did in Game 2, but their attention to detail and willingness to do the little things need to be on point. If they can have that, then I'm confident in them defending Target Center, the proof will be in the pudding after such an embarrassing loss, though.
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