The Wolves give the (anything but) simple impression of beating the Pistons 4-37

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DETROIT – The Timberwolves’ 124-117 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night was a game the Wolves have won all season.

A team that prides itself on minding its own business, unlike the worst in the NBA, has accepted last year’s challenge of taking its opponent too lightly.

A team proud of its defense allowed 40 first-quarter problems to the Pistons, who set the record for longest losing streak in a single season and had their leading scorer, Cade Cunningham.

But Wolves are also proud of getting victories, even if they are aesthetically pleasing.

“They got us a little bit more serious in the second half. I didn’t like how serious we were in the first half,” coach Chris Finch said. . . . I wasn’t a big fan of our functionality tonight, but I still “did enough to get the win. At the end of the day, that’s what matters, but it’s not the point we were hoping for. “

They played that popular long enough in the fourth quarter and early quarter until their most embarrassing loss of the season. Behind the game encouraged through Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the Wolves closed third and opened the quarter with a 16-2 run, with Alexander-Walker scoring seven points, their only struggles of the night, and generating two turnovers in their at-bat. The Wolves (29-11) led 109-92 with nine minutes, 51 seconds left.

“At that point in the game, it’s just a matter of being patient,” Alexander-Walker said. “Before that, I hadn’t done anything. We kept the game even, gave them confidence and kept the fireplace burning. “For me, it’s about looking to shift gears. “

But Detroit (4-37) wasn’t done, and shooting 52 percent, the Pistons pulled within 115-109 with 3:56 remaining before 3s by Jaden McDaniels and Karl-Anthony Towns and a layup by Anthony Edwards. at night. Towns had 27 points, going a game-high 5-of-5 from 3-point range. Edwards had 27 points and shot 10 of 24 from the field, while McDaniels added a season-high 23 points. Rudy Gobert had 19 rebounds and 19 rebounds. Jaden Ivey led Detroit with 32 numbers.

There wasn’t much with the Wolves offense, which shot 51% from the field and committed 10 turnovers. But the lack of defensive focus, especially in that 40-point first quarter, exposed the team’s lack of intensity early in the night.

“The first quarter, what was it, 40-39? It was ridiculous,” Finch said. “We were just trading baskets. When that happens, everyone always thinks it’s going to be too easy, and we’re a defensive-led team and that was not acceptable, really.”

Finch also said he thought the Wolves were too upset about the referee, Edwards, who made his seventh technical foul of the season.

“It’s a little concerning,” Finch said. He’s done a smart job of sticking around since the middle of last season. You have to master it. It’s really not appropriate to have a technical challenge right now at the pace you’re doing it. . . Sometimes you’ll say, “There’s been a mistake and it’s not going to be followed. He was allowed to put that aside. “

Edwards even said after the game that he felt like he had been given a technique for the time being, though overall he felt he had done a greater job in recent years by not getting the techniques back.

“Actually, I haven’t had one in a minute. I think I deserved it,” Edwards said. “To be honest, I’ve had another one, man, to be honest. I think I needed it. “

With that, Edwards was acknowledging he was doing too much complaining. Perhaps that had a negative effect on his and the Wolves’ defensive effort, especially early. Whatever that was, the Wolves didn’t like it. But Wednesday also offered another piece of evidence that this season’s team is not last year’s, which lost to the woebegone Pistons twice. For as poorly as they played, the Wolves still won their third straight game. That brought some solace.

“I wouldn’t say we’re nobody, but I think in terms of effort and technique of the game, we just want to be a little bit better,” Alexander-Walker said.

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