After a major trade, most teams face some challenges, and the Minnesota Timberwolves are no different.
Their three-game winning streak ended with an unexpected home loss to the Miami Heat on Sunday, and now the Timberwolves will begin NBA Cup play against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night. The two teams will meet again in Portland on Wednesday.
The Trail Blazers have lost three games in a row, including a heavy 134-89 defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
Minnesota lost to Miami 95-94 on Sunday after Mike Conley missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the game. The Timberwolves also turned the ball over 20 times during the game.
After the game, Minnesota head coach Chris Finch took responsibility for some confusion during the final plays. Center Rudy Gobert appreciated Finch’s apology but said the loss was a team effort.
“We were in a position to win, and we weren’t able to close it out,” Gobert said. “Everyone remembers the last play, but I think we as a team remember the last few minutes when we’re up (eight) at some points. So, yeah. None of us is perfect. Gonna all learn to be better.”
Minnesota expected some bumps in the road after trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo before the season started.
After reaching the Western Conference finals last year, the Timberwolves are now working on how to blend their new players into the team.
“It might’ve been easier last year. We had been together for a year and a half, two years,” Conley said. “Now, we’re trying to figure out what we do with what we have now and whoever is finishing the game. We could finish with seven, eight different guys.”
The 37-year-old Conley is still trying to find his rhythm this season, with a shooting percentage of just 30.7 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range.
Minnesota has won its last five games against Portland, which struggled badly in its recent game against Memphis.
The Grizzlies were without injured guards Ja Morant (hip) and Desmond Bane (oblique) but still managed to lead by as much as 25 points in the second quarter.
Portland coach Chauncey Billups called the performance “(expletive) embarrassing.” He added, “We were soft as hell the whole game. Nobody really fought. It was just embarrassing for everybody. That’s just not who we are. It really isn’t. No excuse for that.”
Jerami Grant led the Blazers with 20 points, while Dalano Banton and Donovan Clingan both scored 13 points off the bench.
Portland opened a four-game homestand by shooting only 4-of-42 (9.5 percent) from 3-point range and committing 23 turnovers.
“It was like our guys just showed up because they had to be here and didn’t want to play,” Billups said. “Didn’t want to actually work. And that’s embarrassing. It’s unfortunate that we had to go out there in front of our fans who paid their hard-earned money to come and see their favorite team play, and we show up and do that.”
Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe, who was returning from a shoulder injury, played in his third game and made his first start of the season on Sunday.
He scored seven points on 3-of-10 shooting. Sharpe started in place of forward Deni Avdija, who is averaging 9.0 points and 5.6 rebounds. In 13 minutes off the bench, Avdija missed all five of his field-goal attempts but had four assists.
