Jordan Addison and Josh Metellus sat courtside at Target Center Monday night following the Minnesota Vikings’ 23-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Sam Darnold was looking on from a suite, watching the Minnesota Timberwolves cruise to a 109-80 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. It was Minnesota’s first blowout win after eight straight clutch games. It was a pretty win for the Wolves, but they caught the Lakers on the tail end of a back-to-back.
Perhaps Monday’s win is a turning point for Wolves, who now sit at 10-10 on the season. However, they have shown flashes of a team that can thrive in ugly games, which is something the Vikings – now 10-2 through Week 13 – have prided themselves on.
The Timberwolves must take after their brothers from the East side of Minneapolis.
“We needed a win in any way we could get it,” Chris Finch told the media following the Timberwolves’ 93-92 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. “It wasn’t pretty, but we stepped up defensively pretty much all night. That’s what we have to be.”
The Wolves carried a four-game losing streak into Friday’s game, their longest since December 2022, when they dropped six straight in a ten-day window.
Unlike the Vikings, the Wolves entered the 2024 season with lofty expectations, coming off their run to the Western Conference Finals. Even after they traded Karl-Anthony Towns, fans have filled the seats for every home game at Target Center.
However, the Wolves haven’t given their fans much to cheer about. The hometown fans booed their team on back-to-back nights after Minnesota dug an 18-point hole against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday and a 14-point hole against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
“The fans are booing us, which is crazy,” Anthony Edwards told the media after Minnesota’s 115-104 loss against the Kings. “We are getting booed in our home arena. That’s so disrespectful.”
Wednesday’s loss against the Kings was Minnesota’s lowest point in years. Edwards opened up about the team in a way he had never done before, mentioning that his team was playing softly and like front runners. It’s easy to understand where the upset fans are coming from. Ticket prices have skyrocketed this year, and with that comes even higher expectations. The Wolves dipped two games below .500 following their loss to Sacramento, but fans still packed Target Center for Friday’s game against the Clippers.
“We talked as a team about how we want to win, change things around, and get back to who we are defensively,” Edwards told the media following the Clippers game. “Those are the things we have to do over, over, and over again, no matter how tiring or exhausting it is.”
The Timberwolves jumped out to a 16-8 start in the first 4:40 minutes on Friday, feeding off the crowd’s energy and forcing Tyron Lue to call an early timeout. Minnesota’s offense was dialed in, but that did not last long as both teams quickly settled in defensively.
“We were making the hustle plays, helping our teammates, and supporting ourselves through tough times and adversity,” Finch told the media postgame. “We didn’t let those little runs, whether they were self-inflicted or good play by the Clippers, get us down.”
The Clippers pulled within one point at the end of the first quarter and responded when the Wolves took a ten-point lead in the second quarter and an 11-point lead in the third. There was a noticeable pep in Minnesota’s step from the jump, but they played an ugly brand of offense, committing 18 turnovers through the first three quarters.
Minnesota’s offense has gone cold for stretches too often in its first 20 games. Usually, when those stretches happen, the defense also bottoms out for a few minutes, allowing their opponent to erase the Wolves’ lead or almost instantly take a double-digit lead.
However, Minnesota’s defense was a constant beacon of hope against the Clippers. They never allowed LA to take more than a three-point lead and kept Minnesota’s inconsistent yet hungry offense in the game long enough to put it in a winning position.
Ivica Zubac tipped in a three-point miss from James Harden with 53 seconds left in the fourth, pulling the Clippers within one point. Minnesota tried to drain as much time as possible before someone attempted the dagger. That would have been the ideal way for the game to end. However, the messy end further proved the Wolves could survive in chaos.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker missed a corner three with 31 seconds left. Rudy Gobert tipped the rebound to old friend Chris Dunn, who tripped over his feet and turned the ball back to the Wolves with 26 seconds left.
Minnesota drained even more time off the clock when the Clippers decided not to foul intentionally. Mike Conley missed a three with five seconds left. Edwards flew in and missed his putback attempt. However, Gobert pulled in a last-second rebound and passed it outside to Alexander-Walker as time expired.
The Wolves snapped their longest losing streak in two years in the ugliest finish possible, barely obtaining the realignment that propelled them to their first blowout win in nearly a month Monday night.
“Guys are in a good place mentally,” Finch said following Minnesota’s 29-point win over the Lakers. “A lot of things have been said in the locker room with great purpose and meaning. Guys have taken it to heart and still maintained a good comradery, spirit, and positivity.”
Everything was working for the Wolves on Monday as they caught a tired Lakers team. Minnesota’s defense held Los Angeles to an 82.5 offensive rating. Alexander-Walker, Naz Reid, and Donte DiVincenzo combined for 41 points, leading the Wolves to dominate LA in points off the bench (54-22). Julius Randle made the correct plays off aggressive rim attacks all night, finishing with 18 points on 6 of 13 from the floor. And LeBron James looked every bit of 39-year-old self, recording ten points on 4 of 16 shooting in 31 minutes.
It was the perfect storm, and the Wolves took full advantage, taking as much as a 29-point lead in the fourth quarter. Edwards and Co. went nuts from the bench as Terrence Shannon Jr. threw down a nasty poster dunk in garbage time. The vibes were similar to last season as the rotation patted themselves on the bench down the stretch.
The Wolves proved they can win big, but blowout wins will most likely not separate them from a fringe playoff team and a top team in their conference. Just ask Darnold, Metellus, and Addison, who received loud ovations from the crowd during Monday’s game. Target Center gave them ear-piercing praise because the Vikings are tied for the second-best record in the NFC, and they’ve gotten there by a slew of ugly wins.
The Timberwolves and Vikings have won ugly this season. The only difference between the two is that the Vikings have embraced it – priding themselves on defense and grinding out games. The Vikings are not necessarily a juggernaut despite their 10-2 record, and pundits around the NFL may not be high on them going deep in the playoffs. However, they have ridden ugly wins all year, and the Timberwolves must do the same. It is an intangible that doesn’t always make teams elite, but all elite teams have it.
Minnesota will probably not finish as the top-seeded powerhouse they were a season ago, but they can scrap and claw their way to a top-five seed in the Western Conference. It will not be pretty, but that blue-collar mentality is something Wolves fans can consistently cheer about. Now, it’s on the team to bring that level of fight for 48 minutes every game.
