DC Comic’s The Green Lantern character began flashing on the jumbotron after Gerald Green rolled down the floor and stepped into a pull-up 3 five minutes into the second quarter. As the comic book character’s outline flashed on the screen with Gerald Green’s mean-mug photoshopped in place of Ryan Reynolds, Tom Thibodeau took a timeout to quell Houston’s 12-to-3 run.
In that moment, the game was still close — the score was 35-30 at the time — but the stadium littered with red shirts and green spraying from the big screen seemed to know the Wolves were neither stopping nor going. As Thibodeau signaled for a timeout, Karl-Anthony Towns marched to the bench, ripped some tape off of his wrist and spiked the wad into the bench.
In Game 1, Towns shot 3-of-9 from the field and his coach publically called out for his center to “be more active” following that game. At that moment following the Green 3, again, just 17 minutes into the game, Towns had been more active; shooting eight shots but his frustration came from the fact that he had only converted two of the eight.
Minnesota’s franchise cornerstone was then officially 5-of-17 from the floor before the first six quarters of his playoff career were complete. And for the Rockets, the 12-to-3 run was only the beginning of the barrage. The next five minutes was another run, this time 16-to-5; ballooning to a total 28-to-8 run.
“I liked the first quarter and then we went straight downhill,” said Thibodeau post-game. “The thing is, I thought we were trying to force-feed Karl and he held on to it too long and then Karl had a hard time getting it out.”
The Wolves would stop force-feeding the ball to Towns; he would only take one additional shot in the final 31 minutes. That shot was also a miss and with two games in the books the Wolves most effective scorer in the regular season had tallied 64 minutes, made five shots, made two free throws for a whopping total of 13 points.
It’s uncharted territory for the Wolves; Towns never had consecutive games tallying fewer than 22 total points during the regular season and because of this Minnesota is struggling in the one area that has never been a problem: offense.
The Wolves had the league’s fourth-best offense during the regular season and defense — 27th in the league — was almost always the issue. But now, two games into the playoffs, the script has flipped. The Rockets have been limited to 41 percent shooting from the field in the two games on a shockingly low 29.2 percent of their 3s.
“Yeah, it’s pretty different, right? We usually score the ball so easily,” said Teague in the locker room after the Wednesday evening loss. “We just gotta find a way to play with a little more pace. I think we slowed down the ball a little bit.”
The slowing down of the ball really does feel like what stagnates the offense but it is a double-edged sword because that is how they have gotten Towns touches.
The Rockets are defending Towns and the Wolves as a whole differently than many other teams have. Against other opponents, the Wolves have been able to involve Towns with pace by giving him the ball on the perimeter after he sets the initial screen. But the Rockets switch every screen which — places tiny guards on Towns — and almost forces Towns to leave the perimeter, heading into the post.
In theory, it seems easy to be patient and seek out a post touch for Towns in these situations but this inherently slows the pace. Even when the Wolves do find Towns in the post, at a slower pace he has not been able to convert because the Rockets then bring a double team.
“They’re doing a good job on him and when the thing they’re doing, which is double-teaming him, he has to play with energy,” said Thibodeau.
This energy is an activity and a willingness to make the next play; Towns can not just plow through a double-team. That activity, that next play is a pass. But Towns is struggling to find the pass and even when he does, his surrounding shooters are not bailing him out. The Wolves made a dismal 39 percent of their total shots in Game and the effectiveness from 3 — where the Wolves could punish the double-team — was an even worse 22 percent in the first half and 28 percent for the game.
“We gotta get some more possessions, man,” said Teague. “I think they shot more threes and free throws than we shot shots tonight.”
The Rockets took 52 shots from deep and 21 shots from the free throw line (for a total of 73). The Wolves had 80 total shots. So, almost.
At this point, it really isn’t close in this series. Houston has jammed the linchpin of the Wolves offensive success in all but removing Towns from the equation. It is going to take more than the “gameplan” that Towns keeps referencing and the “studying of the game” Thibodeau posits, it is going to take will.
In those DC Comics, the Green Lantern’s superpower is found in the green Power Ring he wears. According to Google, the wearer of that ring harnesses power and ability through acquiring willpower.
On Sunday night, James Harden wore that ring as he obliterated the Wolves defense to the tune of 44 points. On Wednesday, Harden passed the powers along to his teammates who played with a belief that they were just better. Sometimes it’s that simple; believing.
The Green Lantern, Power Rings, and metaphors aside, the Wolves have to do more. Particularly, Towns. If he is unable to find a similar will and play with the activity his coach suggests he needs to, the Wolves will be sunk.
They aren’t there yet. The loss was brutal but, at the end of the day, it just counts as one. Rockets’ coach Mike D’Antoni put it best.
“The series doesn’t start until somebody losses on their home floor. We did what we’re supposed to do — we held serve — now it’s on them.”
Listen to Dane on Wolves Wired!
