The Minnesota Timberwolves hit another rough patch Sunday night, falling hard at home to the Golden State Warriors, 111-85. That’s five straight losses now for Minnesota, and this one might sting the most. The Wolves, now sitting at 27-19, are sliding fast in the Western Conference standings-and the issues are starting to stack up.
This wasn’t just a bad night. It was a full-on unraveling, and the game was effectively over well before the final buzzer.
Head coach Chris Finch emptied the bench in the fourth, turning to his reserves in a game that had long since slipped away. Among them was veteran forward Joe Ingles, who found himself in the middle of a heated moment that quickly made the rounds on social media.
Ingles, known for his scrappy edge and no-nonsense demeanor dating back to his Utah Jazz days, got into it with Warriors big man Quentin Post during a stoppage for free throws. It wasn’t much in terms of physicality, but the exchange was fiery-classic Ingles. He's been in these kinds of confrontations before, and anyone who remembers his playoff battles with Paul George knows this isn’t new territory for him.
But this wasn’t the kind of situation Timberwolves fans hoped to see Ingles in. Ideally, he’s coming in to help close out a win, not mop up the final minutes of a blowout loss. And right now, that’s emblematic of where things stand for Minnesota.
The Wolves have now dropped five straight, and what’s more concerning is that three of those losses have come since the return of Anthony Edwards. That’s not to say Edwards hasn’t contributed-he’s still the engine of this team-but his presence hasn’t been enough to stop the bleeding. The team’s rhythm looks off, and the cohesion that defined their early-season success seems to be fading.
Against the Warriors, the biggest issue was the offense. Scoring just 85 points in today’s NBA?
That’s a red flag. The ball movement was stagnant, the spacing was poor, and the shot selection left plenty to be desired.
Golden State didn’t just outplay Minnesota-they dictated the pace, disrupted the Wolves’ flow, and made life uncomfortable from the opening tip.
It’s not just one thing going wrong. Over this losing streak, the problems have rotated-some nights it’s the defense, other nights it’s turnovers, and Sunday, it was the offense completely stalling out.
That lack of consistency is what’s most troubling. This is a team with talent, depth, and playoff aspirations, but right now, they’re searching for answers.
Joe Ingles to Quinten Post: "I will slap the shit outta you"
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) January 26, 2026
Late in garbage time. Pat Spencer acts as the peacemaker pic.twitter.com/3fT7LOgSdS
Sunday’s game had already been rescheduled from its original Saturday slot due to a second ICE-involved shooting in the city in just three weeks-a somber backdrop to what was already a tough matchup. The Wolves and Warriors will run it back Monday night in Minneapolis, and for Minnesota, that game suddenly feels more important than just another regular-season tilt.
This team needs a response. Not just to stop the losing streak, but to reestablish who they are. Because if this slide continues, the Wolves won’t just be falling in the standings-they’ll be losing grip on the identity that made them one of the West’s most intriguing teams earlier this season.