The Minnesota Timberwolves had a rough night from beyond the arc against the Los Angeles Lakers, setting the tone early with just one successful three-pointer out of 12 attempts in the first quarter. Their 120-106 loss was marked by a dismal 25 percent success rate from deep, hitting only 10 of their 40 tries. This game highlighted a recurring issue for the Wolves: when the threes aren’t falling, victories are hard to come by.
Despite being one of the league's top teams in three-point accuracy at 37.4 percent and ranking 12th in attempts, the Timberwolves struggled mightily on Tuesday. This performance was their third-worst from beyond the arc this season, continuing a pattern where they’ve lost all five games with their lowest shooting percentages from deep. Their record now stands at 3-8 when they shoot below 30 percent from three-point range.
A key issue for the Wolves is their reliance on isolation plays. When the threes aren't landing, they need a strategy to involve their role players more effectively, rather than defaulting to isolation and drive-and-kick tactics.
Against the Lakers, the Timberwolves flirted with their worst shooting night of the season from three-point land, making just six of 32 attempts through the first three quarters. A late surge saw them go 4-for-8 in the final quarter, including a perfect 2-for-2 in the last four minutes, which slightly masked their earlier struggles.
Anthony Edwards, typically reliable from deep with over 40 percent accuracy, had an off night, going 1-for-10. Jaden McDaniels, another sharpshooter, is currently in a slump, missing all five of his attempts on Tuesday and hitting just one of his last 17 over six games.
The Timberwolves’ recent shooting woes from beyond the arc are not unique in today’s NBA. Their struggles were evident in a previous game against the Orlando Magic, where they shot an even worse 9-for-40. These back-to-back poor performances from deep have turned a five-game winning streak into a two-game skid.
Minnesota will aim to rectify their shooting troubles and avoid a three-game losing streak as they face the Los Angeles Clippers next. The Wolves need to rediscover their shooting touch to bounce back and regain their winning form.