Tom Thibodeau says that he’s talked to his players about overlooking teams like the Memphis Grizzlies, who had lost 23 of 24 games before beating the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. And yet, the loss moved the Wolves into the No. 8 seed, which if the season ended after that game means they would be playing the Houston Rockets in the first round — an almost certain exit.
“We talked about that. You can’t do that,” Thibodeau, the team president and head coach, said after practice on Tuesday.
“Every player in this league is a pro, they’re being paid for what they do. They’re talented, and so it doesn’t take much. That team got going, Gasol is a guy with enormous pride. He’s a guy that has been an All-NBA player.”
Minnesota’s 108-104 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden three days before the Memphis loss may have been a bit of a harbinger. While the Wolves ended up winning that game, it could have been an opportunity to blow away a tanking team to rest up for a game the next day in Philadelphia.
The 76ers beat the Wolves 120-108, which could be chalked up to a “scheduling loss,” since they had issues with their chartered flight, got in late and were playing the second game of a back-to-back over 1,000 miles away from home. But Minnesota has a track record of losing to inferior opponents this season.
The Wolves have now lost to Memphis and the Phoenix Suns twice, as well as the Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls. If Minnesota had won five of those games, they’d be the No. 3 seed right now. If they had won just three, they’d be No. 4 — in the driver’s seat for home-court advantage in the playoffs.
Instead they are the No. 8 seed, one and a half games ahead of the Nuggets and on the verge of missing the postseason for the 15th year in a row.
The Bulls, Nets, Magic and Hawks are the bottom four teams in the Eastern Conference. The Suns and the Grizzlies own the worst and second-worst records in the West.
Memphis had not won a home game since 2017 until Monday night, and they were coming off a 61-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets. But they outmuscled the Wolves, who tightened up in the fourth quarter and only made three field goals.
“When you add that toughness, and then you got a lot of guys that are trying to get themselves established in the league, they’re gonna play hard,” said Thibodeau.
“I watched the Denver game,” he added, referring to the Grizzlies’ last win, a 101-94 victory over the Nuggets on March 17, “and I saw what they did there, and you can’t take anyone for granted in this league. It doesn’t work that way. But as I mentioned to the guys today, the disappointment of the loss, learn from it, get ready for the next one.”
It’s important to remember that while organizations tank, players don’t. Many of them will not be on the same team next season and are fighting for a spot in the league. Others are rookies or young players trying to prove that they belong. Then there are guys like Gasol, who are going to finish the season strong.
“You’re facing a guy like Gasol who has a lot of pride,” said Thibodeau, “and we didn’t do a good job with [Memphis’ physicality].”
Minnesota faces Atlanta on Wednesday, the Dallas Mavericks (No. 13 in the West) on Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers (No. 11) on April 6 and Memphis again on April 9. Winning these games will be vital as they make a playoff push in a tightly-packed Western Conference.
