The Minnesota Timberwolves finished a difficult 16-game stretch against teams above .500 with a close-fought 127-120 loss to the Boston Celtics. They finished the stretch 9-7 and are, most impressively, still top of the Western Conference standings. However, the most important factor for this stretch is how it helps them prepare to face good teams in the playoffs.
On the second day of a back-to-back, the Timberwolves were missing Mike Conley (rest) and Rudy Gobert (hip soreness). This season, Conley and Gobert have been pivotal for the Wolves because of their in-game execution and contributions to the NBA’s best defense. The Celtics were missing Kristaps Porziņģis, but the NBA’s best team was otherwise at full strength.
Minnesota played in Orlando on Tuesday and encountered travel issues with inclement weather preventing them from flying that night. This meant the team arrived in Boston six hours before tip-off on Wednesday afternoon. Still, the Wolves were highly competitive in what looked like a ‘schedule loss.’ It’s a positive sign that the players didn’t see it that way.
The fact that the Timberwolves even took the Celtics game to overtime was impressive. Given that they had every reason to lose in Boston, we could have forgiven the Wolves for a lackluster performance. They could have rolled over against basketball’s best team on the road. Boston only took control of the game when Minnesota looked like they had become exhausted.
Ultimately, even in losing, the Boston game will be helpful for Minnesota’s long-term growth, especially given that Conley did not play. There’s an ongoing concern about how the Wolves play in his absence, be that a whole game or the 15 to 20 minutes a night he isn’t on the court. Minnesota missed Conley most when they lost control towards the end of overtime. A particularly gassed-looking Anthony Edwards missed six of his last seven shots in the game.
There were several moments that the Wolves needed to tidy up, regardless of whether Conley or Gobert were on the court.
Jaden McDaniels took himself out of the game with several careless fouls that have plagued most of his NBA career. McDaniels fouled out on a transition take foul that left the Wolves unable to defend Tatum effectively. Occasionally, he needs to be able to just let a player go past him or score. He also needs to cut down on the common petty fouls he commits when it looks like a player is about to beat him.
We also learned what the Wolves might look like should Conley miss any time. Chris Finch rolled with Kyle Anderson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the starting five, with Jordan McLaughlin continuing backup point guard duty on the second unit.
Anderson was playing power forward again and returned to last season’s form, with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Alexander-Walker made some tremendous shots late in the game, but he should not bring the ball up the court in clutch time. His offensive foul on Derrick White cost the Wolves when it mattered most.
Minnesota’s end-of-game execution was also poor. Edwards took several poor shots and turned the ball over down the stretch. Fatigue may have affected Edwards. However, he only played 25 minutes the night before against the Orlando Magic because of foul trouble. Of all players on the team, Edwards missed Conley’s ability to command team play in clutch moments the most.
Playing in the TD Garden atmosphere was also a valuable experience for Minnesota. It was clear to anyone watching how raucous it was inside. Boston provided the closest to an away playoff atmosphere the Wolves have played in this season. Even though they lost, the Celtics crowd would not have come alive if the game had not been tight. It is unique in that way, and it will benefit the players to adapt to that atmosphere early.
Even though the Celtics game was a disappointing loss, these games will only help the Wolves in the long term. Without this game, we know far less about the clutch time abilities of Minnesota’s young players in a playoff-like atmosphere. The Wolves are repeating many of their established issues, but they become far more noteworthy when they appear in a game against a team this good in that atmosphere. Therefore, Boston was a good early test for the young Timberwolves.
