Feeling high and mighty after convincing victories over cellar dwellers Charlotte and Brooklyn, Minnesota consumed a heavy dose of reality Wednesday in New York.
The Knicks lit Minnesota’s defense up en route to a runaway 137-114 victory for New York at Madison Square Garden, which spoiled Anthony Edwards‘ return to the Wolves’ lineup.
Here are takeaways from the Timberwolves’ defeat:
Ant back
Anthony Edwards returned to action after missing the team’s last four games with a hamstring strain. While Edwards was reportedly set to miss two weeks with the ailment, Grade 1 hamstring strains typically carry a 7-to-10 day recovery window.
Wednesday marked the 10th day since Edwards suffered the strain. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch told reporters pregame the guard was “itching” to get back on the floor.
However, the star guard was ineffective for Minnesota. The Wolves lost his 29 minutes by 25 points.
Edwards will have to be more effective if Minnesota is to compete with quality teams.
Strong opponent struggles
Minnesota had no issue taking out the likes of Charlotte and Brooklyn in recent games. But strong foes have given the Wolves fits thus far this season.
Minnesota has been handled by the likes of Denver, the Lakers (x2) and now the Knicks. It’s beaten Charlotte, Brooklyn and Indiana, all strong candidates to finish in the bottom five in the NBA standings.
The good news for the Timberwolves: Eight of their next nine games are cupcakes. The bad news: If they can’t contend with the top third of the Association, what’s the point?
Defensive struggles
Minnesota entered the game in 22nd in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing 116.4 points per 100 possessions. But, if you’re wondering how they’ve defended quality foes, the defensive rating was 126.2 in losses.
Both numbers are sure to balloon following Wednesday’s game in which the Knicks shot 54% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc. New York tallied 62 points in the paint and, perhaps most prohibitively for Minnesota, grabbed 21 offensive rebounds that led to 31 second-chance points.
A defense-first team in recent years, that end of the floor looks like a liability for Minnesota.
