Wednesday the Wolves and Nuggets set the cause for offensive basketball back a long, long ways.
It was just the seventh time in Wolves history in which neither team scored 80 points. It was just the second time in franchise history that the Wolves allowed fewer than 80 points and lost. They are now 85-2 in such games.
The offense was bad, bad, bad. With the game there for the taking in the fourth quarter the Wolves scored nine points on 2-for-20 shooting. It was a waste of a very good defensive effort, but that effort wasn't enough to stop the Wolves from losing for the eighth time in nine games.
Here are some final thoughts on the game:
--The one silver lining was the play of Nikola Pekovic in his season debut after months of rehab after April surgery on his right Achilles. He played better than he thought he would, scoring 12 points in 16 minutes of playing time.
--Andrew Wiggins struggled. He went 4-for-14 tonight. He had two chances at a game-tying basket late. He is clearly struggling with defenses loading up on him.
--Zach LaVine continues to look a bit lost, mired in a shooting slump. Wednesday he was 1-for-5 for two points. Over his last five games he is 8-for-36.
--Karl-Anthony Towns had a double-double, with 14 points and 14 rebounds. But he was 6-for-14, and said after the game teams are adjusting to him. They're trying to take away his mid-range jump shot. Time for him to adjust.
--Point guard Ricky Rubio had eight points and three assists in the first quarter, just one point and four assists the rest of the way.
