ORLANDO – Timberwolves point guard Patrick Beverley jogged off the floor after colliding with Magic center Mo Bamba when the two fought for a loose ball in the first quarter of Orlando's 118-110 victory over the Wolves.
Wounded Timberwolves' six-game win streak ends with 118-110 loss to Magic
At least four Wolves were injured or hurting and at times the team looked beaten and weary against the worst team in the Eastern Conference.
March 12, 2022 at 4:50AM
Beverley, the Wolves' defensive heartbeat, didn't return to the game because of an ear contusion.
Jarred Vanderbilt spent a timeout toward the end of the bench in the third quarter with a wrap around his left quad, which kept him out of Wednesday's game against the Thunder.
Vanderbilt then spent most of the third quarter on the exercise bike trying to stay loose, and while he continued to play, he didn't look the same as he did earlier this season and wasn't on the floor in crunch time.
Beverley and Vanderbilt are two of the best defenders the Wolves have. It might be no coincidence the team slacked off on that end of the floor — then went 0-for-13 from three-point range in the fourth quarter — and lost for the first time in seven games against the worst team in the Eastern Conference.
"We deserve to be in a barnburner and we didn't come out of the fire," said center Karl-Anthony Towns, who battled four first-half fouls to finish with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
The Wolves blew an 18-point second-quarter lead as Orlando shot 13-for-23 from three-point range in the second and third quarters.
As the Magic made their charge and the crowd at Amway Center went crazy for one of the few times all season, the Wolves bench looked on silently with blank stares, steeling itself for a dark blemish on their quest to overtake either Dallas or Denver for the No. 6 seed. If the Wolves fall short of that goal, they can point to two losses against Orlando as one of the main reasons why.
"I think we kind of disrespect teams, our approach," said guard D'Angelo Russell (13 points on 4-for-12). "Our approach would be a little different if we were playing a better team or whatnot. Treat any team like they're the best team."
Instead, the Wolves let Mo Bamba score 27 points, including a dagger three to put Orlando ahead 114-108 with 1 minute, 5 seconds remaining. Minnehaha Academy graduate Jalen Suggs had five points while Wendell Carter Jr. had 20.
The Wolves had trimmed a 107-95 Magic lead to 109-108, but never got the basket to tie or take the lead. They went cold from the three-point range in the fourth after starting 6-for-8 from deep. There was a reason for that.
"We settled," coach Chris Finch said. "We were looking for home-run shots out there. We needed to move it and drive them and we just didn't. Guys thought they had good looks but they were what I would call home runs. Looking for the big seven-point shot that's not out there."
Or as Russell put it: "I don't think we wanted to move the ball. Everybody was enjoying the weather and I guess feeling good."
The only bright spot for the Wolves was that Edwards' knee was feeling good in his second game back as he plays through left patella tendinopathy. He had 29 points on 9-for-19 shooting.
"I felt wonderful," Edwards said of his knee. "I know we lost, but as far as me individually, my game, my confidence in my knee, everything feels great right now."
The Wolves and Edwards didn't feel so great as a team. Those blank stares in the third and fourth quarter gave them away.
"We were easily bothered by a lot of things," Finch said. "Game wasn't going our way. We got to do a better job of fighting through those things. We got to get our defense back consistently where it needs to be."
Coach Chris Finch said the team reviewed film of every Edwards play in clutch time this season, and he graded out fairly well.
