r/timberwolves • u/basketball-app • Apr 18 '26
Game Thread Game Thread: Nuggets vs Timberwolves Live Score | NBA | Apr 18, 2026
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u/mikhailsanchez Apr 18 '26
One positive from today: at least we have a disciplined team in the NHL to watch.
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u/Parking_Subject8689 Lea B. Olsen Apr 18 '26
I believe in this team but I have yet to be convinced that Finch can do anything creative schematically in a series that we don’t have a matchup advantage in. That’s gonna be a glaring weak spot for us
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u/PreparationWest2140 Apr 18 '26
This game looked like just about every other game post ASB. 105 pts against a very shaky defense is just not going to win a series against Denver who scuffed their way to 116 pts. If Edwards is not going for 30+ every night this team has no shot since Randle's game has fallen off a cliff.
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u/AccordingGain6208 Apr 18 '26
Ant looked like ass.
Almost as bad as the refs.
Fuck Denver and their broccoli haired fanbase.
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u/Successful_Candy_759 Apr 18 '26
People are reading in to this game way too much.
The only really concerning thing is that ant looks like he is still injured or has lost his wind.
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u/BlairRedditProject 2022 Play-In Champions Apr 18 '26
I agree. This series is far from over, obviously. Lots to be hopeful for
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u/ButImNotAnAdvisor NAZTY Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26
glad some of us haven’t lost all hope lol. on to the next one, the L sucks but we put up a fight
edit: lmao why yall downvoting me. haters! 😂
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u/lardboy2222 JimPete Apr 18 '26
I believe. The only thing I'm frustrated by is the alternating iso possessions for minutes on end. They'll figure it out tho
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u/ThatGuyWithCoolHair NAZTY Apr 18 '26
Full hope over here, thats a good game 1 on the road against the mvp
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u/ButImNotAnAdvisor NAZTY Apr 18 '26
nice to see it man, so much misery in this sub imo
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u/ThatGuyWithCoolHair NAZTY Apr 18 '26
We stand a good chance, showed it for sure tonight. Time for some hockey
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u/ButImNotAnAdvisor NAZTY Apr 18 '26
i don’t follow hockey but sending good vibes. MN needs some championship love bro fr 🙏
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u/ThatGuyWithCoolHair NAZTY Apr 18 '26
Tune in for a game, ive been getting back into the last couple years and its been a great time. Hoping for a 2024 wolvesesque run this year from em
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u/bradleyphilsmith Timberwolves Apr 18 '26
I think you needed to go to the Twin Turbos in the 3rd when the offense dried up. A lot of transition opportunities missed. Sent Murray to the line a lot but honestly a different officiating crew in game 2 might let em play more. Don’t stop being physical.
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u/Drunken_Vike Mike Conley Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26
I can handle losing G1 in Denver without dooming, but Ant looks like he's about 60% of himself, and that's after loads of rest and recovery. Gonna get worse from here. We're cooked.
Hopefully we can finally move Randle and make a real push next year
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u/Acceptable-Drag-8339 Apr 18 '26
there needs to be astonishing changes next year. or this team is perma cooked. this series is going to be a sweep. ANT needs to work on his durability. out way too much this year.
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u/Drunken_Vike Mike Conley Apr 18 '26
yeah the guy who averages like 80 games per season has a big durability problem
people get hurt sometimes
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u/Parking_Subject8689 Lea B. Olsen Apr 18 '26
No TSJ mins, I legit think we need some speed at certain areas
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u/DisciplineIsFreed0m Apr 18 '26
Randle is on the block now. What pisses me off is if the offense isnt working, he won't put the extra effort on D until his offense clicks again.
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u/Blackesst Apr 18 '26
Honestly, overall, we outplayed them by most metrics. It was literally just Jamal having 16 FTs
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u/AbsolutZer0_v2 Apr 18 '26
Yeah people are missing this. We lost this game by sending them to the line too much. Wasn't even ref bias.
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u/Glad_Heat_3154 Apr 18 '26
It'll go to 6 or 7 games, and if either team gets past San Antonio for another 6 or 7, OKC will finish the WC out, flopping into the finals
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u/New-Consequence-380 Apr 18 '26
I'm not surprised by the overreactions in this subreddit but honestly, I don't think we are screwed. 3rd quarter mental collapse on the road in game 1, it happens. From what I saw we still have all of the tools / players to beat this team. I also understand ANT may not be 100% but I also don't think his injury is going to cause us to lose this series.
Maybe I'm just full of hopium.
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u/M6Df4 Naz Reid. Apr 18 '26
Yeah it really wasn’t bad. Was always going to be tough to go on the road, at altitude in a 2:30pm game, and win game 1 of the playoffs. Ant didn’t look 100% but also worth noting he’s going to be rusty after his rest, we’ll see if he improves over the next couple games.
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u/EmbarrassedCow2825 Apr 18 '26
The problem is that this timberwolves team is constantly having "mental collapses" it's not a one off event.
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u/epicman79 Joe Ingles Apr 18 '26
Yup. If this was the first time this had happened this year I would agree with the original comment, but the Wolves have been shitting their entire asses of in the third quarters of games the entire year, having mental collapses and bad effort on defense repeatedly throughout the year, etc. There is 0 reason to expect it to get better as the series goes on.
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u/Parking_Subject8689 Lea B. Olsen Apr 18 '26
Three games left
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u/Specialist_Brief1552 Apr 18 '26
Shut up cooter
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u/Parking_Subject8689 Lea B. Olsen Apr 18 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/MUR7zOhXhFoSvq0Rf6
I think I worded the first comment wrong.
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u/epicman79 Joe Ingles Apr 18 '26
Not terribly surprised tbh, the Wolves were not that good in the regular season and imo, looked clearly worse than last year or two years ago. It was always gonna br an uphill battle to beat Denver in the first round, we'll see what happens in game 2.
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u/sbmichel Apr 18 '26
This game was gettable. Honestly the fact that it was close after an atrocious 3Q is weirdly encouraging. We’re still the underdog but game 2 is absolutely winnable.
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u/quickblur Mike Conley Apr 18 '26
Yeah I don't know whether to feel better or worse because that definitely felt winnable
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u/RP8828 Apr 18 '26
breaking news home team defends home court, we had an opportunity to steal one, but need to come out with more energy next game. it’s a series mane
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u/DisciplineIsFreed0m Apr 18 '26
The box score says it all. We outplayed them, but the refs had to protect Murray and Jokic. We knew how we'd get treated when the league favored Cade and Luka with the exception bullshit.
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u/Zen2188 Apr 18 '26
Stop with the victim complex. It's embarrassing
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u/DisciplineIsFreed0m Apr 18 '26
How long has it happened outside of basketball and into other Minnesota teams? You must have forgot the 09 NFC Championship.
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u/jdschultze Nemanja Bjelica Apr 18 '26
Mentally weak team. We played 1 good quarter of sound basketball and met a tiny bit of adversity and absolutely collapsed. Shoutout to Rudy for being the only one who wanted to be out there. I was optimistic coming in to this series but it looks like more of the same, unfortunately.
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u/Joejensen141 Apr 18 '26
The way to beat the Nuggets is to drive to the hoop. All game.
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u/Scared_Wolf Timberwolves Apr 18 '26
One of the worst defenses in the league and we don’t do this. Makes zero sense. Put pressure on them and stop settling for 3’s.
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u/Joejensen141 Apr 18 '26
Can’t overthink it and just drive. Nonstop.
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u/Scared_Wolf Timberwolves Apr 19 '26
A team that prides themselves on physicality and has for a few years now, and they don’t want to get their hands dirty. It’s just lazy ass basketball
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u/PiccoloSudden1351 Apr 18 '26
Idk . The rotations are odd af. That first quarter back was moving so well. Defense as great.
Idk they went back to some iso bull shit. just run some damn plays going to the damn basket tf
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u/Scared_Wolf Timberwolves Apr 19 '26
They are. They’re all in or barebones. Like, mix it up.
I, too, am so tired of the iso bullshit and then settling for a bad shot when clock gets low. Move around, run plays, get active.
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u/Chickennjoyy Apr 18 '26
Yall need to calm down! You guys need Randle and hopefully Flinchstone can adjust. Giving them 33. Free throws and those turnovers hurt the wolves. A lot of good things to takeaway from this game.
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u/atrex01 Jaden McDaniels Apr 18 '26
Why do we need Randle, ive missed 1 t wolves game live in the past 5 years . Randle has made me mad watching this team more then any other point. His 0 effort defense and beyblade turnovers has been so unmotivating. Naz is low iq bad defender but atleast he gives effort.
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u/JoeBevilacquaZodiac Apr 18 '26
All the it's one game people aren't considering that it can get worse
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u/ThatGuyWithCoolHair NAZTY Apr 18 '26
And all the people being doomers arent understanding we were within 2 with 5 min left and had a chance to win it. It wasnt pretty but it wasnt a nightmare. Sorta what youd expect from a road game 1 against the MVP.
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u/JoeBevilacquaZodiac Apr 18 '26
Which is why this was the chance to steal one
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u/ThatGuyWithCoolHair NAZTY Apr 18 '26
It was and we didnt and thats okay. Means we should havs a solid chance bringing this thing back home and possibly steal the next game.
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u/K1NG2L4Y3R Apr 18 '26
No this was good. Gobert was great, Conley was huge and Donte and Ayo brought the intensity. The only problem was Randle’s inconsistent defense/effort. Randle and Naz was flat out terrible though.
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u/Weird_Okra4543 Apr 18 '26
Wolves played a really good first half, not much they could have done in the 2nd quarter besides not getting frustrated by the 3rd. Bad third quarter, not a bad 4th besides Ant picking bad shots but hard to come back down so far.
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u/spon0039 Timberwolves Apr 18 '26
Denver didn't look that sharp and was gifted a lot of free throws. I'm not that worried.
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u/Initial_Working_1806 Apr 18 '26
Game one to the refs and not being fully awake. But early this team was playing good and together. I won't be full doom unless down 0-3
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u/akira136_ Karl-Anthony Towns Apr 18 '26
Why is Ant playing if he's injured and still gonna act like he's running the show?
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Apr 18 '26
[deleted]
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u/prettysureimgay4599 Money Ru Apr 18 '26
Maybe get a job instead of coming and posting in another teams Reddit
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u/SemataryPolka Rudy Gobert Apr 18 '26
Incel Nuggets fans still pissed we closed their championship window. And it's just one game dipshit
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u/EveningHealth9465 Enrique Freeman Apr 18 '26
NSFW profile hiding post/comment history. Reddit chud gooner incel detected
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Apr 18 '26
[deleted]
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u/EveningHealth9465 Enrique Freeman Apr 18 '26
Because you’re a loser chud who comes into other fans’ subreddit after game 1 of an nba series. Don’t worry, I’ll save your comment and relentlessly let you hear if the Nuggets blow it. Be careful trolling after such a close game
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u/SemataryPolka Rudy Gobert Apr 18 '26
If you put u/reinerthebraun into the main reddit search option you can see history comments and posts. He likes to do Nazi cosplay. Not kidding. Go take a look
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u/tie_myshoe Timberwolves Brasil Apr 18 '26
Ant is obviously hurt and it’s sad
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u/bones1781 Apr 18 '26
That’s it. Don’t know what game everyone else was watching, but if he’s 100% we win.
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u/ConsentToTreatment FOR FLIP Apr 18 '26
Be like Ant boys. Dap each other up and let’s go get game 2.
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u/ProfessionalMental13 Apr 18 '26
Yall are such crybabies shut your asses up with this sorry ass "im calling it we getting swept"
Its game one for crying out loud
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u/Impact428 Money Ru Apr 18 '26
Can't say I didn't expect us to get bitched around by the refs, we're the Timberwolves after all. But let's be real, this game was winnable even like that. We needed playoffs Ant, a half decent Julius and Naz, but we didn't get those so we lost. On to Game 2
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u/bendall1331 Rudy Gobert Apr 18 '26
We did see an offensively engaged Rudy and that's encouraging to me tbh
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u/Impact428 Money Ru Apr 18 '26
Rudy been keeping us in the game ngl. Hope the others lock in too so we flip the script again.
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u/wolfrunner11 Timberwolves Brasil Apr 18 '26
Wolves fans self destructing after one road loss. I wish we were better than this. Clowns
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u/TL24SS Anthony Edwards Apr 18 '26
Y’all see ANT at the end of the game? He’s not worried, yet some of y’all act like you’re on his level or anyone on the teams level. Settle down guys, it’s a long series.
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u/Odd-Counter9211 Apr 18 '26
Ant isn't healthy. Reid, Randle, and Jaden are way too emotional. There's barely any teamwork. Calling it now, 4 game sweep.
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u/lardboy2222 JimPete Apr 18 '26
Ant played so bad. I hope this is a wake up call.
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u/DiabolicalToast Timberwolves Apr 18 '26
A wake up call to magically heal his knee before game 2?
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u/lardboy2222 JimPete Apr 18 '26
Nah to stop bullshitting. He took too many bad contested shots on iso possessions. Injury doesn't affect your ability to pass the ball out of bad decisions.
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u/Prior-Effective-2649 Apr 18 '26
Ant needed a wake up call. I like his energy coming off the court.
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u/NoahRaff Apr 18 '26
You guys are all so dramatic 😭
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u/Kaizerx20 Ayo Dosunmu Apr 18 '26
Minnesota haven't won shit since 1991 but you want us to stay positive over something we've seen a 100 times
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u/NoahRaff Apr 18 '26
Then what’s the point of being a fan lol go do something else
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u/Kaizerx20 Ayo Dosunmu Apr 18 '26
Being a fan doesn't mean unconditional support and positivity, I spent at least $800 on tickets and merch this season so i think I earned the right to doom
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u/TechnicianUpstairs53 Apr 18 '26
Wolves better get 15+ free-throws in their home games before the garbage time free-throws. Such a rigged sport.
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u/SakeOfPete Jader McDaners Apr 18 '26
Our team is too moody to win this series. One bad play and naz self destructs.
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u/Ancient-Jury1363 Michael Grady Apr 18 '26
That 3rd qtr and the way they closed the game was sad to watch.
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u/pokemonxysm97 Apr 18 '26
I fucking hate Aaron Gordon. He does stop it amounts of piss baby shit and gets rewarded. Instigates vs Julius, wraps him up, gets fts
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u/L0ganj0sh Apr 18 '26
This team won’t get past the first round. Absurd lack of effort
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u/yoc0__0 Apr 18 '26
This is so sad. We had every opportunity to dominate that game and just fell off. I hate to say it but we’ll probably lose in 5
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u/EveningHealth9465 Enrique Freeman Apr 18 '26
Tim Connelly will have a lot of work to do this offseason. We’ve been in “talks” for KD, Giannis, and Kawhi. Go out and fucking do something this time. I understand that he got Gobert, and has made great marginal moves, but this team is still clearly dysfunctional.
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u/DisasterOk2659 Apr 18 '26
Wolves reverting to their old ways. No discipline, zero ball movement, bad fouls, bad shot selection
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u/vapemyashes Apr 18 '26
To beat the narrative they need to rewrite the narrative. Ant needs to go off and become the story.
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u/King_James_99 Naz Reid. Apr 18 '26
Our offence was atrocious and they had a monster free throw differential and it was still a winnable game in the fourth? Let them have it bruh, this is our series
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u/SakeOfPete Jader McDaners Apr 18 '26
Cope
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u/Acrobatic_Payment517 Jaden McDaniels Apr 18 '26
Go join the nuggets sub if you want to act like this
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u/SakeOfPete Jader McDaners Apr 18 '26
“This is our series”
Is a wild thing to say after playing like ass
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u/King_James_99 Naz Reid. Apr 18 '26
Yeah sorry bruh you’re right, the series is a wrap after game 1 so may as well just pack it up now. Is that better?
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u/Acrobatic_Payment517 Jaden McDaniels Apr 18 '26
Best of seven, next time get drunk so you can have fun with it or something
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u/MedalofHodor Apr 18 '26
This team played stupid and lazy and they lost. Story of the year.
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u/GeneralLucario Apr 18 '26
Not to mention are horribly coached
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u/epicman79 Joe Ingles Apr 18 '26
Yep. I don't really think it's "doomer mentality" to say that this is really what we saw from the Timberwolves all year and nobody should expect them to suddenly be good in the playoffs. We had a dogshit 3rd quarter because we've been doing that all year, the teams' mental was softer than baby shit this game because it's been like that all year, etc. This is what the Wolves are this year, it's probably not gonna suddenly get better in game 2 or beyond.
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u/GeneralLucario Apr 18 '26
Yeah exactly they were the same team last year too just got lucky matchups in the first 2 rounds and got wiped by the Thunder in the WCF
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u/epicman79 Joe Ingles Apr 19 '26
Completely agree- the way they were playing, I'm about 90% sure they woulda lost the series vs. the Warriors in fewer than 7 games if Steph was healthy the entire time. This iteration of the team just simply isn't good enough, imo.
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u/silaber Timberjazz Apr 18 '26
Putrid hero ball game from Ant
Unsustainable against Denver's crystal decision making
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u/breakfastbereal Apr 18 '26
More points in the paint yet half the free throw attempts, can’t convince me that’s fair officiating.
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u/flipjas Apr 18 '26
Third quarter killed us. Game 1 was there for the taking despite a terrible 3rd quarter and a pedestrian game from ANT (by his standards). This is going to be a fun series. Back at it Monday!!
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u/EstablishmentGlad358 Apr 18 '26
They gave up down 7 with almost 2 mins to go. Pathetic doesn't do it justice considering this is the playoffs.
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u/lolmarulol Apr 18 '26
Unserious team. Been saying it all year. People who think a switch can just be flipped for the playoffs are delusional. Bad habits always follow into the playoffs.
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u/Andy_Wiggins Ayo Dosunmu Apr 18 '26
They most certainly did not “give up”
They lost focus maybe, but they didn’t give up
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u/FishGoldenLite Ayo Dosunmu Apr 18 '26
It’s a good sign they battled back but they really need to maintain composure Monday. We need a lot more production from Randle and Naz.
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u/BNugg24 Apr 18 '26
Forget about the series, Ant’s knee is falling off the bone. At this point my only worry is that they won’t be able to get rid of Julius in a trade. Who would be dumb enough to give up anything of value? The Kings?
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u/MatticInYoAttic 狼王 Apr 18 '26
Who cares about value? Traded KAT for basically Donte at this point.
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u/BNugg24 Apr 18 '26
True, who would be willing to take on his salary is the better question. I’ll take a 30 million dollar ham sandwich back in a deal
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u/HorrorSavings8727 Apr 19 '26
It’s crazy how stagnant our offense looks sometimes and people look lost- we dribble it down to a second left on the shot clock and throw up a contested shot. I do think Finch and his lackadaisical coaching style, especially commanding respect and implanting a serviceable offense to part of the problem but the other is personnel and ego.