With three-and-a-half minutes left in the first quarter, Taj Gibson took a dribble to his right and spun back over his right shoulder for a lefty hook — classic post-up whirling from the 32-year-old. So classic that Rudy Gobert knew it was coming. A split-second after Gibson released the shot, Gobert erased it.
Incorrectly, it was called for goaltending.
It was the first of many questionable calls in the game. Gobert became infuriated after the whistle, but only for a moment. After a headshake and deep breath, the Utah center zoned back in and played on — it would be the game’s only example of emotional control.
Before the night was over, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jeff Teague, and Jae Crowder would all be ejected for three separate incidents that had nothing to do with any of the other ejected players. Additionally, the game included emotional volatility from Ricky Rubio, who wanted to fight Teague, Tom Thibodeau getting a technical after trying to fight Crowder, Jimmy Butler who cyber-bullied Rubio and Crowder and Nemanja Bjelica who took his shorts off while shooting free throws, though it was not clear what he was fighting there.
It was a Royal Rumble.
Towns Versus Refs:
Teague Versus Rubio:
Thibodeau Versus Crowder:
Butler Versus Twitter Trolls:
Bjelica Versus Elasticity(?):
Oh, and one more…
Ed Pinckney Versus Gravity:
***
BACK TO THE GAME that devolved or took off after that Gobert goaltending call, depending on how you look at it. Rather than piping up for a technical, Gobert decided to start blocking everything and snapping off for 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.
The possession after the goaltend, Gobert, again, read the Wolves offense. Much like Gibson’s whirling lefty hook, Gobert was familiar with Andrew Wiggins’s instincts. As Wiggins drove and spun, Gobert was there to stifle.
He was dominant.
The next possession — yes, three in a row — Bjelica’s dunk attempt was thwarted by Gobert. The Utah squad was coming off three days of rest and played invigorated the rest of the second quarter.
The Wolves had reason to be tired. Twenty-four hours prior they had played in their most physical game of the year. Fatigue felt excusable but the lethargic play — particularly from Wiggins — was tough to watch. As Gobert’s play screamed I’m scraping for a playoff spot, Wiggins one made basket in the first half — an uncontested fast-break dunk — suggested a different sentiment.
When Towns was ejected with 30 seconds left in the second quarter, running out the clock in the second half to avoid injury seemed like best practice for Minnesota. But that didn’t happen; the Wolves fought.
No Butler, No Towns, New Wiggins
Without Butler and Towns, 2014-15 flashbacks came to mind. What would Wiggins do as the primary option? Would it be his rookie year all over again?
It wasn’t.
The isolation pull-ups were sparse and the lackadaisical defense was non-existent. Wiggins turned it on. He had 23 second-half points alongside Teague who had a game-high 25 points before being ejected.
Thibodeau’s squad could have folded. Instead, they dug in. The second-half effort will be overshadowed by the loss and the soap opera-esque events but the Wolves showed something in this game. It was the same ethos of the Portland game: Fighting even when the deck is stacked against them.
That tenor will need to prevail if they want to make the playoffs. The Wolves entered the night in the third seed in the West and with the defeat have fallen to sixth.
Somehow Minnesota has the next five days off; they do not play until Thursday when they welcome Boston to town. By that game, Portland, New Orleans, Utah, and Denver will each have played three more games. San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Los Angeles will each have played two.
- Portland: v. OKC, @ LAL, v. NYK
- New Orleans: @ DAL, @ LAC, @ SAC
- Utah: @ SAC, v. ORL, @ IND
- Denver: @ CLE, @ DAL, v. CLE
- San Antonio: v. LAL, v. MEM
- Oklahoma City: @ POR, v. HOU
- Los Angeles: v. BKN, v. NOP
The Wolves can’t fall out of the top-eight by Thursday but they can get close. Which will make the next brutal run of games even more crucial.
Things could be worse. The Wolves have played four games since Butler went down. They have won the games they were expected to win (home against Sacramento and Chicago) and lost the games they were expected to lose (on the road against Portland and Utah). While 2-2 isn’t exciting, four-straight engaged games is something. Moral victories won’t get them into the playoffs but their maintenance of a high morale is reason enough for optimism.
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