The Emirates NBA Cup (known as the In-Season Tournament in its first year) is in its third year of existence. In their first two years, the Timberwolves failed to advance through group play to reach the quarterfinals.
This year it seemed like it would be different. Minnesota won its first two NBA Cup games by a combined 54 points. Unfortunately, they lost their last two cup games, officially eliminating them again from group play.
Eliminated in the group stage for the third year in a row
With the points difference being the second tiebreaker after head-to-head matchups, the Timberwolves appeared to be in great form. There was a good chance they could lose one of their last two NBA Cup games (as long as it didn’t happen in one fell swoop) and still advance to the quarterfinals.
Instead, they both lost. It started last Friday with their late game against the Suns. That put the Wolves in a very difficult situation, knowing they would have to win their final group match against the one-loss Thunder.
Missed free throws and turnovers were the major culprits as to why Minnesota was defeated by OKC by a score of 113-105. The Timberwolves missed 15 of their 37 free throw attempts and turned the ball over 14 times (eight in the second half).
It’s a disappointing result considering the Timberwolves dominated their first two NBA Cup games. But again they will not reach the quarter-finals. Minnesota won 3–1 in group play in the opening tournament, but missed out on the Western Conference wild card as they had an even points differential, while the Suns’ 3–1 record also had a +34 point differential.
After Wednesday, the Wolves still remain winless against over .500 teams
With the NBA Cup out of the picture, the Timberwolves will look to bounce back from their current three-game losing streak. Not only did they have a meltdown in their game Friday against the Suns, but also Monday against the Kings. Those two losses led to Mike Conley hosting a mandatory team dinner in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
The loss to OKC drops the Timberwolves’ record to 0-7 against teams with winning records. Overall, they are 10-8, good for seventh in the West.
Their next appearance is on Saturday when they try to win their first game against an over .500 team as they go on the road against a 10-8 Celtics team.
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