The Minnesota Timberwolves put their biggest problems on full display in Thursday’s 120-115 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Their attention to detail was sorely lacking, causing the Wolves to forfeit a four-point lead over the final 77 seconds of the game. Ultimately, Minnesota’s losing streak reached four games.
Chris Finch addressed Minnesota’s issues in the loss as bluntly as he could after the game.
“Our ability to contain drives right now is really hurting us,” he said, “discipline on the close outs, over-helping in places we didn’t want to over-help in, and our readiness to contain the next drive.”
Chris Finch on what went wrong with the defense in the loss to the Bulls
“Our ability to contain drives right now is really hurting us, discipline on the close outs, over helping in places we didn’t want to over help in and our readiness to contain the next drive” pic.twitter.com/rDkryZgzOS
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) January 23, 2026
Let’s break down the end of the Bulls game a little further, though. Jaden McDaniels hits a highly contested three to put the Wolves up 115-111 with 77 seconds left, and the Target Center is rocking.
Jaden McDaniels clutch pull-up corner 3 pic.twitter.com/h78ELxNAQM
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) January 23, 2026
However, the next defensive possession exposed the Wolves’ issues, especially when they are playing against teams below them in the standings, or they have a lead and feel the game is close to over.
Ten seconds into the shot clock, Josh Giddey rifles a pass to Coby White, who the Wolves inexplicably left wide open in the corner. White cans the three, reducing Minnesota’s lead to one.
Looking back on the play, though, it’s clear that Anthony Edwards was caught watching Giddey as White drifted to the corner. Then, he didn’t make a very good closeout to make up for the mistake, which resulted in the bucket.
“He stopped short,” Finch said, bluntly, after the game. “He’s got to get all the way out there with a better contest.”
A reporter asked Edwards about this crucial mistake in the locker room after the game.
“Josh Giddey made a good pass,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting that pass, so I reacted – Bones said it was like I was stuck in quicksand – and when he caught the ball, it felt like it. I couldn’t really get a contest. I’m going to get cussed out for that one.”
Anthony Edwards on blowing the coverage on the Colby White three in the fourth.
“Josh Giddey made a good pass, I wasn’t expecting that pass so, I reacted, bones said it was like I was stuck in quicksand, and when he caught the ball it felt like it. I couldn’t really get a… pic.twitter.com/ZwTVJuxLGE
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) January 23, 2026
Edwards is right to assume he will get cussed out for that possession. Ultimately, the reality of the play is that it was a crushing mental error for Minnesota’s best player.
Julius Randle turned the ball over with a bad pass on the ensuing Wolves possession. They got lucky off the turnover because Jalen Smith missed a shot. White got the offensive rebound, but they avoided disaster because Gobert blocked Giddey’s ensuing shot.
Still, Minnesota had a one-point lead with only 38 seconds left on the clock. Randle threw a pass to McDaniels, who somehow corralled it and brought the ball out to the perimeter, where it was poked away and went out of bounds. The officials ruled it off McDaniels, but the replay showed he never touched it. However, the Wolves had no challenges and could not challenge.
The Bulls called a timeout. With 34 seconds left out of the timeout, Trae Jones found a wide-open lane to the rim off the inbound. Edwards wouldn’t slide over enough to help, and Jones’ matchup, Donte DiVincenzo, was too far behind the play to catch up and impact the shot. Gobert contested it, but it was too late. Jones scored, and the Wolves trailed by one with 30 seconds to go.
Tre Jones has been incredible this season.#BullsNation | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/AOvNDohJrA
— Bulls Nation (@BullNationCHI) January 23, 2026
Edwards dribbled the ball up the court on the following offensive possession. He took 12 seconds off the clock and didn’t pass the ball before he took a contested three that clanged off the rim. The Bulls made two free throws after they rebounded the ball, and the Wolves fouled them.
That put the Timberwolves down three with nine seconds to go now. Edwards’ quick-hitter three off the inbound failed to drop, the Bulls would make two more free throws, and the game ended. Chicago had a nine-point run in which the Wolves had two turnovers off errant Randle passes, and two offensive possessions ended without a pass because Edwards hoisted a three-pointer.
The trade deadline is rapidly approaching, as is the NBA All-Star break. Much will be made of what the Wolves should do to fix their roster and add bench depth. A more glaring issue appears to be a consistent lack of focus in certain games, particularly against teams the Wolves feel they “should” beat.
The attention to detail falters on defense, the offense loses its flow, and turnovers occur when the team seems to press to try to close out the game.
Thankfully, in a lot of these games, Edwards has saved them with heroic shots and remarkable efficiency. Still, until the Wolves can find the focus and resolve to pay better attention to the minute areas of the game, it would seem that it will make a tangible difference, regardless of who they add via trade or buyout.
Randle took the time after the game to detail what the Wolves need to do to break these habits.
“We need to follow the game plan,” he said, “and attention to detail.”
He also weighed in on what it’s going to take to end the losing streak.
“A lot of effort,” he said. “We got into this together, so we got to get out of it together, too. So a lot of effort and focus, a pick up in intensity.”
Julius Randle on what has caused the step back for the Wolves defensively
“Yes, it’s just we need to follow the game plan and attention to detail”
On what it’s going to take to end the losing streak
“A lot of effort, we got into this together, so we got to get out of it… pic.twitter.com/HawHDOG7WL
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) January 23, 2026
The Wolves have shown they can play well enough to beat the league’s best teams. Wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Antonio Spurs are proof of that. However, Randle is right. To be in the championship picture, they need to put in a lot of effort and follow the game plan to close out games that could have a significant impact on their playoff seeding.
Thankfully, the Wolves are still just three games back of the two seed in the West, with a chance to get right against the Warriors, a team they will surely be ready to play.