Minnesota coach Chris Finch admits the Timberwolves are “a million miles” away from where he’d like them to be — and where they ought to be at this stage of the season.
Clinging to sixth position in the Western Conference — three games ahead of the seventh-place Phoenix Suns above the play-in cut — Minnesota (46-32) will be seeking to reverse a three-game slide with a victory over the host Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
The Wolves’ recent slump continued with a 122-108 loss to the Charlotte Hornets in Minneapolis on Sunday.
Charlotte raced to a 29-21 lead after the first quarter, Minnesota responded to gain a 60-55 halftime lead, then the Hornets seized full control with a 34-19 third period.
When asked whether the Timberwolves’ spirit is down, Finch was forthright.
“For sure,” he said. “It feels like we’re a million miles away from the team that we can be and that we are. We’ve got to get that back with our connectiveness and our spirit. And we’ve got to have some guys just play better… We’ve got to make all the little plays, the gritty plays, just stay in it.”
The Timberwolves’ cause has been hurt by the absence of two of their stars.
Anthony Edwards, who didn’t play against Charlotte and has missed eight of Minnesota’s past 10 games with a right knee issue, has been ruled out of Tuesday’s game.
Jaden McDaniels is week-to-week, having missed five straight with a left knee injury.
Edwards leads the Wolves in scoring, averaging 28.9 points per game, while McDaniel’s 14.8 average ranks him third.
“There are no excuse as to who’s in or out of the line-up right now,” veteran guard Mike Conley said. “We just feel like we should play a better brand of basketball regardless of who’s on the floor.”
Indiana (18-60) has been dealing with a far deeper injury crisis all season to plummet, in the space of 12 months, from NBA Finals participants to being one game above the worst record in the league entering Monday.
All-Star forward Pascal Siakam (ankle) and guard Ben Sheppard (hip) were the latest additions to the long list, missing the Pacers’ 117-108 road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. Siakam is out, while Sheppard is questionable.
Indiana stuck with the Cavs for three quarters before being broken 27-17 in the fourth.
Center Micah Potter celebrated his return to the starting lineup — and the announcement he and his wife Elle will be having a baby boy in September — by posting 21 points and 12 boards.
Potter wore neutral colored shoes for pregame warmups before switching to blue sneakers to start the game for a gender reveal.
“Congratulations to the Potters — it’s a boy,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He kept the drama going right up to the jump, with two pairs of sneakers out there … but it was pretty good.
“I decided (game night) to make a switch (to start Potter ahead of Jay Huff), because this is a big deal. It’s really a momentous thing, having your first child. This is a little bit (of an) unusual way to announce it, but if we can help light up one of our guys and make it even more special, why not do it.”
Indiana only had nine players in uniform– its top five scorers all missing — adding to its degree of difficulty in Cleveland.
“All in all, I’m just real proud of the group,” Carlisle said. “To compete the way we did for three full quarters and a good chunk of the fourth, to have a lead and carry the lead for a long time, with the group that was available was a great effort by them.”
