Over the course of the NBA season, the sloppiness of the pandemic in the NBA normalized. We are used to derelict stands, built-in fan noise and the drag of the Timberwolves. But as we sit here in the Goal Center as the lights dim and the center court lights up for the protracted entry program for the team full of crying and strobe lights, it feels anything but normal. The fifteen scribes who sit in the arena and map the deaths of the team are reminded that fighting is forbidden and that rebellious supporters will be escorted out of the building. When I see something, like another media member slipping off their mask across the arena to sneak a sip of water, I’m supposed to say something.
It is therefore understandable that the players would not have wanted anything else for this season to be over, or at least give a small break, especially as the losses increase. But perhaps the players are so accustomed to playing in their own bubble on the court, to ignoring the fans and the noise around them, that they can simply turn off the absence of energy rather than its presence. After all, the exclusion of the cannon brigade from the T-shirt should reinforce the decision of any soul.
But maybe not. It was all too easy to see the team run empty when Hornets were up and running in the second quarter. The Wolves were able to claw back to finish the half with six, but bending points, such as the villages leaving early in the first half after making his third mistake, felt the air being sucked out of an already empty balloon. Or in the third quarter when Ricky had the ball hidden from behind when he started a quick break and three Wolves stepped back when the Hornets then hit a wide open try. There are too many bubbling balls, which are transferred to the unknown, and eternal chips to crimes to be normal.
And it should not be. The Wolves had another game where they played like a typical NBA team for part of the game and then quickly slipped in garbage by the third quarter. The Hornets ran on and both teams realized the game was over. The Hornets stopped trying and tampered with the attack and chose the porous defense of the Wolves. The Wolves lost the third quarter 36-20.
But still, with the Wolves, it’s not only that they lose by twenty, but the game is just over. The Hornets did not play tighter and or nervousness flushed out when the Wolves made a few shots. The wolves are just as likely to come down again, launch a three-pointer that hits nothing but the back plate, and then leave a lob-dunk standing if someone does not pay attention. To do so, the Hornets started the fourth quarter with a 20-4 run against the supposedly pursuing Wolves.
This interruption is necessary to decide if the wolves are a real team or if they should disappear into the underworld to inflate the list again.
As for the actual game, Jake Layman starts in place of Josh Okogie, leaving Jarred Vanderbilt to guard Gordon Hayward. The Hornets immediately isolated Hayward at every opportunity against Vanderbilt. Layman played well and showed the cutting chops that many people thought were better when he played with good passers-by like Ricky Rubio and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The fight of the announced rookies could not materialize in the first half. LaMelo Ball was indifferent to the basketball, but he clearly saw himself as a threat to throw the lob as he drove in. The Wolves greats scrambled away to their husband and left Ball an open road to the edge if available. But for each highlight pass, there was a pass directly to the other team. However, his score is real, as he flattened tries firmly and made easy buckets to the edge. Ball finishes with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in a seemingly pedestrian outing.
Anthony Edwards had another difficult night. It was one of the first games I saw Ant Ant being stripped several times on his way to the edge. He finishes with 19 points, but shoots 8-23 off the floor and 1 of 10 from outside. The less is said about his defensive awareness, the better.
There were some new wrinkles tonight. Josh Okogie and Juancho Hernangomez were out of the turn, with Jaden McDaniels getting his longest run yet under the new coach. McDaniels had a rough attacking night and finished 0-4 from outside the arc. Ricky Rubio and Jake Layman had the best games among the Wolves, each yielding a respective 20 and 14 points. Karl-Anthony Towns struggled with bad problems and generally had a bad game, even though the stats were a typical performance. The Wolves shot 9 of 40 from outside the arc on a night when Ricky Rubio hit four of his six three-point attempts.
The team is on its way to halftime with a losing streak of nine games and each time looks like part of the worst team in the league. We can only hope that the next chapter is different.
To get through the evening – The Oaxacan Old Fashioned
- 1 1/2 ounces of tequila
- 1/2 gram mezcal
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar (or simple syrup)
- 2 streaks Angostura bitter
Happy All-Star Break!