Timberwolves miss golden opportunity in 125-116 loss to Suns
Jarred Vanderbilt #8 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts to a call on the court in the fourth quarter of the game against the Phoenix Suns at Target Center on March 23, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Suns defeated the Timberwolves 125-116. ((Photo by David Berding/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Timberwolves will be involved in the NBA Playoffs in some capacity, barring a complete collapse, for just the second time since the 2004 run to the Western Conference Finals.
They’re in the No. 7 spot in the West with eight regular season games to play, just 1.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets for the No. 6 spot. They held that spot for all of one night after beating the Milwaukee Bucks last Saturday. If the Timberwolves can chase down the Nuggets for that sixth spot, they avoid having to play their way into the playoffs.
That’s what makes Wednesday night’s 125-116 loss to the Phoenix Suns at Target Center that much more disappointing. The Timberwolves led by as many as 15 points. Against the top team in the West, the Timberwolves were the better team for the better part of three quarters.
In crunch time, they missed key shots, Karl-Anthony Towns got in foul trouble and the Suns outscored the Timberwolves 42-28 to leave Target Center with the win. They also beat Minnesota without Chris Paul.
"They just killed our defense, that was it," guard Anthony Edwards said.
It’s great to say they played with the best team in the league, but the reality is it was a huge opportunity lost when the game was there for the taking.
The Timberwolves have lost two straight, and the first loss of that short skid was more damaging. Monday night at Dallas, they didn’t make the plays late or get the calls in a 110-108 loss to the Mavericks.
The Timberwolves host the Mavericks Friday night in their next biggest game of the season. It’s the start of a four-game stretch involving playoff teams, with three of them on the road. After the Mavericks, the Timberwolves travel to the Celtics, Raptors and another huge game at the Nuggets. If Minnesota doesn’t handle its business until that meeting, the Nuggets might have the No. 6 spot solidified by then.
"We're fighting for that spot and that spot is not getting any easier for us coming down the stretch," Towns said. "We've got to figure it out."
The Timberwolves end the season against the Rockets, Wizards and Spurs, three teams not currently in the playoff picture. It’s been a fun season, Target Center has life again.
It’ll likely be a packed house Friday night for a game the Timberwolves absolutely must win if they have any intentions of staying in the race for the No. 6 spot. At this point, it’s fun just to have relevant basketball again at Target Center that doesn’t involve high school state tournaments, or the fast-approaching NCAA Women’s Final Four.