The Timberwolves are no longer the underdogs to the Lakers. Is that cause for concern?

21.04.2025    Pioneer Press    3 views
The Timberwolves are no longer the underdogs to the Lakers. Is that cause for concern?

After Minnesota s resounding Meeting win on Saturday to claim a - advantage over the Lakers Anthony Edwards was required what the message was to the world after pundits across the globe had widely picked Los Angeles to win the first-round playoff series No message man Edwards mentioned They still got the Lakers Lakers supposed to win That s how it s supposed to go and how it s supposed to be It s debatable whether that s still true Minnesota has received plenty of praise in the wake of its impressive performance to open the series and is now the betting favorite on all sportsbooks to topple the Lakers But it s in the best interest of the Timberwolves to believe otherwise What s particularly compelling about the Timberwolves is the degree to which they know that to be true Wolves guard Mike Conley not long ago lauded his association s ability to meet any challenge We re a association that plays well when we re looking up and fight our way and claw our way up a hill Conley declared We understand with our back against the wall we re a much more dangerous unit in our minds Which is a great trait as seen in last Saturday s mastery Minnesota was on its P s and Q s in Meeting The Wolves were as sharp as they ve been on all season on both ends of the floor particularly over the final three quarters That was the squad a great number of envisioned pushing the Thunder to win the Western Conference at the season s outset It s why the Wolves were such a frustrating and confusing watch throughout the regular season Because the unit that took the floor over the first five months of the season rarely looked like the one that trounced the Lakers When Minnesota inferred it was destined for the play-in tournament it went on a - tear over its final games to nab a top-six seed Specific of that strong close to the season had to do with Minnesota s roster reconfigured just two days before the start of training camp meshing at the right time But the urgency with which the gang played was also palpable Ideally of discipline the band could deliver that same brand of basketball regardless Sometimes when we get too much love and attention we get a little bit soft and lazy Wolves coach Chris Finch announced in the hours ahead of Contest There s a lot of evidence behind that assertion Even just this season the schedule brought Minnesota to California forthwith after the Wolves used a thrilling fourth-quarter rally to down Oklahoma City in overtime The next day Finch and numerous Wolves players made in-person appearances on national programs And then proceeded to drop their next two games We are our biggest opponent We get a little complacent When people start saying we re good and when the odds are with us that s when we re not as good Wolves center Rudy Gobert noted at the end of March It happened last year in the playoffs The odds had us losing every series As soon as the odds had us winning against Dallas in the West Finals we didn t That was prevalent at a more granular level within the Western Conference semifinals Minnesota was not picked by multiple to down the defending champs in Denver but then the Wolves took Contest Gobert s absence in Event made Minnesota a heavy underdog again and the Wolves ran roughshod over the Nuggets Heading back to Minnesota armed with a - series lead a sweep felt almost inevitable But Minnesota s tenacity dipped noticeably and the Wolves dropped the next three games The urgency returned in Encounter for another dominant win and decisively Minnesota put the Nuggets away in Match but only after and indifferent first-half performance that left the Wolves trailing by in the third quarter After that second-half performance in Denver Wolves assistant coach Micah Nori noted Fear is a hell of a motivator Fear of your season being over Nori noted Fear of just not performing and going out the way that you would want to That fear that urgency was all present in Minnesota s performance Saturday in Los Angeles I know we craved it more Naz Reid reported after the encounter That s kind of how it has to be especially when you re the underdog Minnesota is one of the best underdogs in basketball It s record this season when playing as an underdog - per Sportsbook odds was only bested by Oklahoma City which was - Minnesota also had the second-best performance against the Vegas spread this season when playing as an underdog behind only Cleveland The Wolves do not like to be discounted but they play their best when they are I think we have a lot of guys in this locker room that have been underdogs their whole life Gobert stated It s a position that we embrace and I think we embrace it individually and collectively The challenge for this group is to maintain that same mindset even when things are going well The Wolves certainly don t need to win Competition on Tuesday in which they are still an underdog but can they play as though they do Because while Minnesota ultimately won the Denver series a year ago there s a strong situation to be made that the mid-series slump which forced Minnesota to play seven grueling energy-sapping games ultimately cost the Wolves an NBA Finals appearance That s not a mistake you want to make twice Experience is real It s a real thing especially when you can kind of keep it within a same eight or nine guys who go through it together Conley revealed You straightaway remember things You without delay remember Luka destroying us last season and what happened in the conference championship You right away remember Milwaukee a week ago when we lost a challenge up Those things pop in your mind and you without delay try to be like What do we got to do different Right now it s one championship and move onto the next one It s on us to fix our own odds Gobert announced We ve been through it for the last sparse years so by now we know that it s just about us Related Articles Timberwolves Playoffs Reserves again ignite club s best play The Timberwolves had one of best shooting performances of the season Saturday How will the Lakers react in Battle Pack of rabid Timberwolves harass Lakers en path to Battle rout Timberwolves playoffs From contracts to reputation what s at stake things the Timberwolves must do to upset the Lakers plus a prediction

Similar News

In face of Trump tariffs, NYC hoteliers push for lower tax paid by tourists
In face of Trump tariffs, NYC hoteliers push for lower tax paid by tourists

Tourists visit the Charging Bull of Wall Street in Lower Manhattan on March 28, 2025. Hotel owners w...

21.04.2025 1
Read More
Five-bedroom home sells for $3.1 million in San Jose
Five-bedroom home sells for $3.1 million in San Jose

2212 Gunar Drive – Google Street View The spacious property located in the 2200 block of Gunar Drive...

21.04.2025 0
Read More
Boston Marathon 2025: Runners share what they’re doing after the race
Boston Marathon 2025: Runners share what they’re doing after the race

"I’m going to eat a chocolate cake." The post Boston Marathon 2025: Runners share what they’re doing...

21.04.2025 0
Read More