Preview #16 – Timberwolves at Celtics

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Boston Celtics
Date: 24 November 2024
Time: 2:30 p.m. CST
Location: TD Garden
TV coverage: FanDuel Sports Network North
Radio coverage: Wolves App/iHeart Radio

The Timberwolves face their biggest task yet: A date with the Celtics in Boston

If you’re a Timberwolves fan, you’ve probably had your fill of history lessons this week. First, the team failed to snap their 20-year losing streak in Toronto, falling flat against a Raptors team that had nothing to beat them. Now the Wolves enter another haunted house: TD Garden, where they haven’t won since 2005. Back then, when Kevin Garnett was coming off his MVP prime, Sam Cassell was still doing the big ball dance and Latrell Sprewell was on some way both. feed his family and drain threes. That’s right, it’s been nearly two decades since Minnesota left Boston with a W.

But this is not just another game. It’s a yardstick, a gut check, and maybe even a season-defining moment. The Celtics, the reigning NBA champions, are a powerhouse. On paper, the Timberwolves shouldn’t have a chance. But if there’s one thing this Wolves team has shown, it’s their ability to play up (or down) to their competition.

A tale of two wolves

The Timberwolves season has been defined by crazy inconsistency. This is a team that has taken care of heavyweights like the Denver Nuggets but stumbled against bottom feeders like Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors. Their 8-7 record feels like a microcosm of their identity crisis. Are they a Western Conference contender? Or are they just a frustratingly talented team that can’t get out of their own way?

Julius Randle, who has been one of the few bright spots during this turbulent stretch, didn’t hold back after the loss in Toronto. “We can’t look at, ‘Oh, we’re playing the Raptors.’ They’re 3-12 or whatever, and OK, we’ve got an easy one and we can go worry about our individual stuff,” Randle said.” We can’t do that. We have to be professional and understand that it’s about us as a team, that every night we come out, build the right habits, do the right things.”

Randle is not wrong. The Wolves have had intermittent moments of brilliance, but those flashes have been sandwiched between lackluster efforts, careless turnovers and defensive stretches that would make a high school coach cringe. They’ve cruised through games against weaker opponents, only to be embarrassed when those teams decided they actually wanted to win. Tomorrow’s game in Boston will reveal whether Randle’s comments lit a fire under his teammates – or whether the Wolves are doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes.

Keys to the game

1. Defense, Defense, Defense

The Wolves’ defense has been as streaky as their three-point shooting. That won’t fly against a Celtics team that can hurt you from anywhere on the floor. Jaden McDaniels will need to channel his inner safety belt to tie up Jayson Tatum, and Rudy Gobert will need to dominate the paint to prevent easy buckets. No more lost rotations. No more giving up open looks to role players. This has to be their most focused defensive effort of the season.

2. Anthony Edwards’ moment

If the Wolves have any chance of making it, Anthony Edwards needs to play like the star we know he can be. This is a golden opportunity for Ant to go toe-to-toe with two of the best wings in the league in Tatum and Brown. He has the talent to cope; the question is whether he can put it all together for a full 48 minutes.

3. Ball movement and shot selection

When Mike Conley is on the floor, the Wolves offense has the ability to hum. When he’s not? It’s like watching a bad pickup game at your local YMCA. Whether or not Conley suits up (he’s listed as a game-time decision), the Wolves need to avoid their bad habit of just shooting threes and instead focus on moving the ball and finding high-percentage looks. Boston’s defense will punish lazy possessions.

The gauntlet begins

This game isn’t just about ending a 19-year drought in Boston. It’s about setting the tone for the most critical stretch of the Wolves’ season. After tomorrow, they face Houston, Sacramento and the Clippers in three straight home games, two that will determine whether they qualify for the NBA Cup. Then it’s a slate from December with both LA teams, three matchups with the Warriors and a Christmas Day showdown with Dallas Mavericksaka The Wolves’ Kryptonite. Oh, and don’t forget the New Year’s Eve clash with the Thunder.

This is the point where the Wolves either make it to the event or see their season spiral. There is no more room for error, no more excuses about gelling or adapting to new pieces. If they don’t give their best every night, they will find themselves buried in the standings come January.

Hope Springs Eternal

Despite all the frustration, there is still reason for hope. We’ve seen the Wolves at their best – playing stifling defence, sharing the ball and letting their stars shine. They have the talent to be a top team in the West, but talent alone doesn’t win games. Effort, focus and consistency do it.

So can the Wolves finally win in Boston? Can they prove to themselves—and the rest of the league—that they belong in the conversation with teams like the Celtics? Or will this be just another chapter in the Timberwolves’ long book of missed opportunities?

The gauntlet starts tomorrow. Let’s see if they are ready to run it.

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