Anthony Edwards did not mince words after the Minnesota Timberwolves were booed off their home floor. Following a flat 123-107 loss to the Brooklyn Nets at Target Center, the Timberwolves star openly sided with frustrated fans, delivering a blunt assessment that cut to the core of Minnesota’s inconsistency.
“We got booed and sh*t by the fans today,” Edwards said.” I'm with the fans. I would have booed us, too. Sh*t. [It's] a lack of energy. I don't know what's going on. I guess it's just Timberwolves basketball.”
The Timberwolves fell to 20-12 after being outplayed for most of the second half by a Nets team that entered the night well below .500. Minnesota led 63-62 at halftime, and the Timberwolves were making highlight plays in the first half. But it all unraveled in the third quarter, when Brooklyn outscored Minnesota 36-23, which flipped the game and exposed Minnesota’s lack of energy.
The Timberwolves didn't do enough to block out the boos
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) prepares to play the Brooklyn Nets before the game at Target Center.
Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
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Edwards led Minnesota with 28 points on 10-of-22 shooting in 35 minutes. But his production did little to change the tone of a night defined by boos and missed opportunities. Jaden McDaniels added 16 points, while Naz Reid and Julius Randle each scored 13.
Against the Nets, Minnesota's lack of physicality was an issue for the Timberwolves. It showed up particularly in the paint, where Minnesota was outscored 66-46. Throughout the game, the Timberwolves were out of position defensively, and the Nets repeatedly attacked the rim.
“Acknowledging you have a problem is certainly the first,” said Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch about his team's issues. “But if you’re really self-aware, you’ll do something about it.”
The loss was especially jarring given Minnesota’s recent highs, including a win over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and a competitive overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets. Instead, the Timberwolves are again grappling with inconsistency as they head into a four-game road trip beginning with a stop against the Chicago Bulls.