Donte DiVincenzo opened up on the Timberwolves' recent ups and downs.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been mostly impressive through their first 32 games of the season, but Saturday’s 123-117 loss to the struggling Brooklyn Nets was a new low for the team after narrowly losing an instant classic to the Denver Nuggets on Christmas Day.
The Timberwolves trailed by as many as 21 points in Saturday’s loss. Aside from Anthony Edwards (28 points) and Jaden McDaniels (16 points, 7-of-11 shooting), the Timberwolves collectively struggled to find the bottom of the net. Beyond that, they were outhustled, outrebounded and outworked in the paint.
Following the game, starting guard Donte DiVincenzo called out his team for their inconsistent performance at times this season and made it clear, as respectfully as he could, that the Timberwolves have no business losing to a team like the Nets.
“We can’t have peaks and valleys. It’s frustrating, I give them credit. We’re supposed to come in, supposed to handle business and do what we’re supposed to do. But they’re beating us at these 50/50 balls, beat us downhill, just played with more physicality.
“They played with more energy, and that’s the type of team they are. But they are that. We have spurts that show what we can do. That’s not necessarily who we are, and that’s who we need to become. You can’t get too low on it, but you need to address it.”
Peaks and Valleys
Saturday’s loss was a far cry from the Timberwolves’ 112-107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 19. DiVincenzo expressed frustration that the Timberwolves have been unable to show up for less hyped games the way they do for games against the best teams in the league like the Nuggets and the Thunder.
“We can't just get up for OKC and come in for Brooklyn and get punked,” DiVincenzo said. “We have to look at ourselves in the mirror … We have it in us. What they are is a hard-playing team. If they don't play hard, you see they get blown out. This is a game where we're supposed to come in and handle business.”
The Timberwolves are back in action on Monday as they head to Chicago to tip off a four-game road trip against the Chicago Bulls at 7 p.m. CST. They’ll head to Atlanta for a matchup with the Hawks on Wednesday before stops in Miami to face the Heat and Washington to face the Wizards over the weekend.