The Minnesota Timberwolves seemed to be in control of the clash against the Charlotte Hornets. With Karl-Anthony Towns going on a scoring rampage, the Wolves even led the contest by 18 points. However, an incredible display by LaMelo Ball and co. led the Hornets to clinch a 128-125 win. Suffering an embarrassing loss, Anthony Edwards didn’t mince his words when being critical of his side’s performance.
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Karl-Anthony Towns was on a tear right from the get-go. With KAT erupting for a 43-point first-half outing, the Timberwolves let go of their gameplan, trying to find Towns on every possession. Wanting the big man to reach the 100-point mark, Ant agreed that the team’s shifting focus resulted in the Wolves blowing the near-twenty-point lead that they racked.
Anthony Edwards when asked if the focus just shifted to feeding KAT after he started off hot.
“Just trying to get it to him. Yeah, for sure. He hit his first six, seven shots, and I think everybody, pretty much, was just trying to see him go get 100 points. I know I was.”
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) January 23, 2024
While KAT recorded a career-high 62 points, Ant-Man had one of his worst performances of the season, scoring-wise. Shooting the ball at 27.3% from the field and 25% from the 3FG, the 6ft 4” guard only recorded 9 points.
Being the #1 team in the West and embarrassingly losing to the 13th seed of the Eastern Conference is not acceptable. Edwards is aware of the same as he said,
“Immature as f**k tonight,” Edwards said.
Asked about the maturity level in tonight’s game, Anthony Edwards said: “Immature as fuck tonight.” https://t.co/PzOILytTW9
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) January 23, 2024
Edwards echoed the same feedback as Chris Finch. Following the Wolves’ 13th loss of the campaign, the head coach also ripped apart his side for being “disgusting” on the defense and playing immaturely overall.
Anthony Edwards and co. have struggled in the clutch
The Minnesota Timberwolves have had a great start to the season. Winning 30 of their first 43 games of the season, the Wolves have defeated several powerhouses – the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Denver Nuggets, and others.
While their performance from the first half of the season has been exceptional, Minnesota’s struggles in the clutch have been one of their few negative takeaways.
Despite having a 66.7% win percentage in clutch situations, Anthony Edwards and co. are placed 12th in the league with 8.6 points. A matter of concern, they are merely 0.6 points away from the #22 Golden State Warriors on the same list.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have suffered back-to-back losses for only the second time in this season. Traveling to Washington to kickstart their four-game road trip, the Wolves will hope to turn back to their winning ways. Another loss in quick succession could have a detrimental impact, considering the Oklahoma City Thunder are only 0.5 games behind.
