As the snowstorm decided to take a breather, Minnesota sports fans settled in for a triple-header Sunday featuring the Timberwolves, Wild, and Loons. Unfortunately, the teams didn’t exactly bring the heat, leaving fans pondering whether shoveling snow might have been a more rewarding endeavor.
The common thread across these matchups? A glaring lack of focus.
With the Timberwolves and Wild eyeing the postseason, a shift in mentality is crucial. Luckily, both teams have a chance to bounce back with games on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Minnesota United, just four games into their season, has time to find their footing, though optimism is in short supply.
Let’s break down the Sunday struggles:
Timberwolves
The Wolves have been a rollercoaster, and not the fun kind. Anthony Edwards’ yearly call-out about sticking to Coach Chris Finch’s game plans seems to have fallen on deaf ears again. With the regular season winding down, the Wolves are plagued by defensive lapses and sloppy play, dropping four of their last five and giving up an average of 125 points per game.
Sunday’s matchup was a missed opportunity. Despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s off day, needing a late push to hit 20 points for his 128th consecutive game, the Wolves couldn’t capitalize, falling 116-103. Their 25 turnovers were a glaring issue, and the second-half collapse was hard to watch.
The Timberwolves need to tighten up and refocus if they want to make any noise in the postseason. Tuesday’s game offers a chance at redemption, and they’ll need to seize it.