Just one NBA crew has held an opponent to 80 factors or fewer in a sport this season. They’re the Timberwolves, they usually’ve now executed it twice in back-to-back outings.
Minnesota gave up simply 80 to the Clippers on Wednesday after holding the Lakers to 80 on Monday in Minneapolis. The Clippers additionally solely scored 92 factors towards Minnesota final Friday. Three video games, three distinctive defensive performances.
Which, following an accountability session throughout and after a loss to the Kings on Thanksgiving eve, creates a story that the Timberwolves have turned the web page and returned to their dominant defensive strategies of years in the past. a season.
Minnesota is now sixth within the NBA in defensive score, permitting simply 108.6 factors per 100 possessions, two-tenths shy of the mark it sported a yr in the past to guide the League.
The wolves are again, child.
Nicely, possibly.
Context is essential when evaluating a schedule interval, good or unhealthy. SO. It is price noting that Minnesota is holding again groups that have been already mendacity on the ground.
The Lakers have the third-worst offense within the NBA since Nov. 23, a seven-game stretch during which they’ve topped 105 factors solely twice. The Lakers have been held under 95 factors in three of their final 4 outings, together with one other drubbing Wednesday at Miami.
After the loss to the Wolves, LeBron James rightly known as his crew’s offense “nasty.”
The Clippers will not be a lot better, particularly with out Norman Powell. They rank twenty fourth in offensive score, scoring simply 1.1 factors per possession. However even that quantity plummets when Powell — who’s averaging 24 factors per sport this season, whereas taking pictures 51 % from each the sphere and from distance — is not on the courtroom. The Clippers’ offensive web score improves by 9 factors when Powell is on the courtroom this season, in keeping with CleaningTheGlass.com.
This on/off cut up sits within the 91st percentile league-wide.
Powell missed each video games towards Minnesota, and the Lakers on Monday and the Clippers on Wednesday have been taking part in the second sport of a back-to-back. So, the schedule actually made Minnesota robust at a time when the Wolves appeared to want it essentially the most.
However the Timberwolves took full benefit of the chance. Eighty factors equals 80 factors, irrespective of who you are taking part in towards or the circumstances. There isn’t any denying that Minnesota’s exercise and a spotlight to element has elevated in current contests, and it is price noting that the Wolves’ protection has been torched even by unhealthy groups over the course of greater than a dozen of matches of the season.
Current outcomes signify progress; How a lot progress is made is a query that shall be decided over the weekend, when Minnesota performs two video games in San Francisco. The Warriors have misplaced 5 straight video games on Thursday afternoon and, get this, they’re going to face Houston on Thursday evening earlier than their first matchup towards the Wolves on Friday.
The 2 groups will play once more on Sunday on the identical venue.
Golden State sports activities the ninth finest offense within the NBA. Steph Curry and Draymond Inexperienced are lacking Thursday’s sport as a consequence of accidents, and it seems Curry is an efficient wager to return towards Minnesota, even when Inexperienced’s scenario is slightly murkier.
Regardless, the Warriors’ motion-based offense, centered round Curry’s taking pictures menace, will pose a troublesome check of the communication and dedication that Minnesota has struggled with to open the season. A protection is just pretty much as good as it’s when it’s pushed by offensive creativity and ability.
After a wonderfully timed three-game stretch that allowed Minnesota to rebuild its picture and id on the defensive facet of the ball, it is time for a stress check.
