The Minnesota Timberwolves have big plans for this season and think there is a clear path for them to reach the NBA Finals.
While they have been doing incredibly well for most of the season, they have lost a few very close games.
Writing for The Athletic, Jon Krawczynski touched upon this troubling trend.
“For a team that has designs on advancing out of the first round of the playoffs for the second time in franchise history, the inability to function offensively in close games is a major concern,” Krawczynski said.
The good news is that the Timberwolves are just a few buckets away from a 10-game winning streak.
The bad news is that they have instead lost three of their six home games coming out of the All-Star break…@JonKrawczynski on Minnesota's big problem ⤵️https://t.co/YzPGomQSso pic.twitter.com/fZ03dX6PxS
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) March 4, 2024
The Timberwolves have gone 2-2 in their last four games, winning the first two against the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies and then losing to the Sacramento Kings in overtime and to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
They fell by four points to the Kings and just one point to the Clippers.
There have actually been numerous close losses throughout the season, including games against the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and others.
This is obviously something that cannot happen, particularly in the playoffs.
When the postseason gets started, the Timberwolves will have to face off against some intensely tough competitors and there is a good chance that many games will come down to the wire.
If Minnesota cannot seal the deal in close games, their time in the playoffs may be short.
Because they lost their last two games, the Timberwolves have fallen back to the second seed in the West and now sit right behind the Thunder.
The regular season is starting to wind down which means Minnesota has to focus on the problem areas they wish to improve and how to get in good shape for the playoffs.
They will definitely want to find out why they keep coming up short in close games and then fix that as soon as possible.
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