The Timberwolves got back to practice on Tuesday, less than 24 hours removed from giving the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors all they could handle in front of a sell-out crowd at Target Center.
The Warriors may have left the building with the 109-104 victory, but the game looked like yet another positive step for the young Wolves. Despite the team playing well and hanging with the champs until the very end, interim head coach Sam Mitchell doesn’t see any moral victories.
“We’re not doing this to get a pat on the back and say, you guys came close. We are doing this to win games,” Mitchell said.
Tough loss aside, the Wolves showed plenty of positives going up against a team threatening to set the all-time record for wins in a season. The Wolves starting five of Rubio, Lavine, Wiggins, Dieng, and Towns combined for 96 of the team’s 104 points with Andrew Wiggins leading the way with 25. Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 and Ricky Rubio pitched in 20 with 11 assists.
“We have been playing better, and when you play against the best team in the NBA, you have to play a perfect game to beat them. We did a pretty good job and followed the game plan.” Rubio said after practice.
Rubio was tasked with guarding Steph Curry, a matchup most would not wish on their worst enemy. Despite this non-enviable assignment, Rubio held Curry to just 19 points on 6-for-17 shooting including 2-for-9 from beyond the arc. Along with his 20 points and 11 assists, Rubio added four rebounds and four steals. Ricky also went a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line in a game that came down to the final possessions.
Rubio said the team didn’t gain confidence in a loss but added, “The next step is closing out games, because we are right there. You change six or seven of those games and we would be fighting for the playoffs.”
Towns continued to add to his impressive rookie resume, notching another 20-point, 10-rebound game. He finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Towns has now recorded 41 double-doubles this season.
The Timberwolves will refocus and get ready for a four game in six night stretch, including their final back to back of the year. The Kings come to town on Wednesday for a matchup of premier big man, as DeMarcus Cousins and Towns square off. Tip is slated for 7pm.
