Timberwolves aware that they have to feast on teams with losing records

The combined record of the six teams the Timberwolves have defeated for their seven victories this season was 19-48 entering Thursday. Only one of those teams (Portland) is currently above .500.

That might not seem like a big deal, just a team with deep playoff expectations getting wins over the teams it should. But those who have followed the Wolves the past few seasons know they haven’t feasted on those teams. They had to sprint the last few weeks of last season to reach the No. 6 seed because they had some bad losses on their ledger.

But as they try to find their footing amid a slow start on defense, they are at least banking wins over the teams they can and should beat just by having the better roster.

“We are aware of our flaws as a team, and we are aware of what happens when our focus slips away or our level of urgency slips away,” center Rudy Gobert said.

“Now it’s exciting to feel that we really understand that our biggest competition is ourselves. If we focus on the little things and play the way we’re supposed to play as a team, which is moving the ball offensively and defensively, compete every minute, good things happen.”

One of those teams, the Kings, is coming to Target Center on Friday night after the Wolves beat it by 27 points Sunday night at Sacramento. It will be the Wolves’ second game in the group stage of the NBA’s in-season tournament, which means the court will be bright green again, as it was for the Wolves’ home win over the Utah Jazz last weekend.

During their 7-4 start, the Wolves have defeated the Jazz twice, the second time coming Monday at Utah a night after they routed the Kings. The Wolves were down two at the half but came out with a business-like approach after halftime and went up by 22 in the second half before winning by seven.

Coach Chris Finch said that in Monday’s game there might have been some “back-to-back-itis,” as he termed it, in which the Wolves weren’t playing as crisply as they could have. But they got it together in the second half.

“It’s probably just in the long run knowing that these games can hurt you if you don’t win them,” forward Jaden McDaniels said. “We don’t want to be in the play-in [tournament], and just thinking far ahead towards the end of the season, adding up all these games against the lesser teams, it can help put us in a better position at the end.”

To veteran guard Mike Conley, the Wolves have had better energy at the start of these games than they have had in recent seasons.

“These games have been a lot better than the past,” Conley said. “We’re coming out with a better mindset. Obviously, we want to win every game, treat them all the same. But some nights you’re tired, some nights you have back-to-back, some nights the matchups are weird, and you still got to find a way to get up for that game.”

Now, if the Wolves can just play better against good teams. Their four losses have come against three opponents (including the Los Angeles Lakers twice) who are a combined 24-10. But while the Wolves iron out those issues on defense, they’ve been able to keep their record stable.