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1 month ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Andrew Dukowitz |Phil Ford |Jonah Maves |George Fallon |Alex Dukowitz
I asked Chris Finch a nagging question that was on my mind after the Minnesota Timberwolves lost 119-115 to the New Orleans Pelicans as a 12.5 underdog on Thursday. Does stagnant ball movement affect the defense? “Yeah, it definitely does,” Finch responded. “A lot of guys in the NBA didn’t get here by defending. They got here by being offensive players, and getting them to play defense at a high level is sometimes a little bit more of a challenge.
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1 month ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Phil Ford |Jonah Maves |George Fallon |Andrew Dukowitz
The Minnesota Timberwolves are back on their bull—. After an impressive eight-game win streak pushed them back into contention talks, the Wolves have dropped two straight to inferior opponents, and the dark thoughts are starting to creep back in. Minnesota pushed to within percentage points of sixth place and an automatic playoff bid.
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1 month ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Jonah Maves |George Fallon |Andrew Dukowitz |Tom Schreier
Putting teams away in today’s NBA landscape has become increasingly difficult. Lethal scoring, perimeter-centric offenses, and versatile stars keep teams in games that look lost. No matter the competition or context, winning games is still difficult. The Minnesota Timberwolves have had their fair share of issues in close games this season. They lead the NBA in clutch games, with 43 of their 71 games being within five points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime.
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1 month ago | 
zonecoverage.com | George Fallon |Andrew Dukowitz |Tom Schreier |Charlie Walton
Obi Toppin’s ridiculous three-point make on Monday night to sink the Minnesota Timberwolves 132-130 in overtime against the Indiana Pacers marked the end of an excellent run of basketball. The Wolves were on an eight-game winning streak before Indiana defeated them and had won the last 13 games with Julius Randle. The Pacers loss was bad, no doubt about that. Indiana was missing four starters: Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, and Aaron Nesmith.
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1 month ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Andrew Dukowitz |Tom Schreier |Charlie Walton |George Fallon |Alex Dukowitz
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been inconsistent all season. They were on an eight-game winning streak, the longest in the NBA, before falling flat against the shorthanded Indiana Pacers, 132-130, on Monday night. The loss kept the Wolves in the seventh seed. However, they still could have a 50-win season and are surging to the playoffs at the perfect time. Despite this year’s highs and lows, the Wolves are starting to play like serious contenders.
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1 month ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Tom Schreier |Charlie Walton |George Fallon |Andrew Dukowitz
Jaden McDaniels has spent extra time at practice working on all aspects of his game. However, he’s focused on mid-range shots, three-pointers, and his touch around the basket. Or, in other words, he’s trying to become a reliable three-level scorer. “A little bit of everything,” he said after scoring 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting against the Utah Jazz on Sunday. “Really, my whole game.”It’s easy to overlook McDaniels’ intensity, given he’s nearly expressionless on the court.
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1 month ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Charlie Walton |George Fallon |Andrew Dukowitz |Phil Ford
Anthony Edwards cascaded across the half-court line late in the fourth quarter Friday night. He had scored the last five points for the Minnesota Timberwolves and was looking for a heat check, pulling up from the Target Center logo nearest the Orlando Magic bench. Jaden McDaniels was confident the shot would fall, blowing a 3-point sign to the crowd as the ball flew through the air. The fans were ready to explode.
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1 month ago | 
zonecoverage.com | George Fallon |Tom Schreier |Charlie Walton |Andrew Dukowitz
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ 115-95 victory over the Denver Nuggets this week was significant for many reasons. For starters, it was another game that marked Minnesota’s complete and utter domination of Denver recently. The Wolves are 5-0 in their most recent games against the Nuggets, including the final two games of the second round of the playoffs last year. They have won all three regular-season games since the start of this season, with one left to play at the end of March.
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1 month ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Charlie Walton |Andrew Dukowitz |Tom Schreier |George Fallon
After the Minnesota Timberwolves beat five teams under .500 to win five straight, Chris Finch was ready to see what his freshly energized team was capable of. “I think this is the perfect test for us at the perfect time,” Finch told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. “Go on the road, play a really good team, and see if we can put it all together again.”Minnesota’s five-game win streak entering Wednesday was tied for the best in the Western Conference.
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1 month ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Andrew Dukowitz |Tom Schreier |George Fallon |Charlie Walton |Alex Dukowitz
It seems like a lifetime ago, but at media day on Sept. 30, Chris Finch spoke about how he can fix the Minnesota Timberwolves’ clutch time offense.
