Most teams would experience growing pains following a blockbuster trade, and the Minnesota Timberwolves are no exception.
After seeing its three-game win streak come to an end with a head-scratching home loss to the Miami Heat on Sunday, Minnesota opens up NBA Cup play against the host Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night. The teams meet again in Portland on Wednesday.
The Trail Blazers have lost three straight, most recently 134-89 to the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
Minnesota fell 95-94 to Miami on Sunday after Mike Conley missed a 3-pointer in the last two seconds. The Wolves committed 20 turnovers in the loss.
After the game, Minnesota coach Chris Finch took the blame for some confusion during the game’s final two possessions. Center Rudy Gobert appreciated Finch’s apology but said it was a team loss.
“We were in a position to win, and we weren’t able to close it out,” Gobert said. “Everyone remembers the last play, but I think we as a team remember the last few minutes when we’re up (eight) at some points. So, yeah. None of us is perfect. Gonna all learn to be better.”
The occasional speed bump was expected for Minnesota, which traded Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo prior to the season.
After reaching the Western Conference finals last season, the Wolves are focused on figuring out how to best integrate their newest players.
“It might’ve been easier last year. We had been together for a year and a half, two years,” Conley said. “Now, we’re trying to figure out what we do with what we have now and whoever is finishing the game. We could finish with seven, eight different guys.”
The 37-year-old Conley is looking to settle in this season while shooting an underwhelming 30.7 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range.
Minnesota has won its last five meetings against Portland, which turned in a dismal performance against a depleted Memphis squad.
The Grizzlies played without injured guards Ja Morant (hip) and Desmond Bane (oblique) and still led by as many as 25 points in the second quarter.
“It was just (expletive) embarrassing,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “We were soft as hell the whole game. Nobody really fought. It was just embarrassing for everybody. That’s just not who we are. It really isn’t. No excuse for that.”
Jerami Grant led the Blazers with 20 points, while Dalano Banton and Donovan Clingan had 13 points apiece off the bench.
Portland opened a four-game homestand by shooting 4-of-42 (9.5 percent) from 3-point range and committing 23 turnovers.
“It was like our guys just showed up because they had to be here and didn’t want to play,” Billups said. “Didn’t want to actually work. And that’s embarrassing. It’s unfortunate that we had to go out there in front of our fans who paid their hard-earned money to come and see their favorite team play, and we show up and do that.”
Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe, coming back from a shoulder injury, played in his third game and made his first start of the season on Sunday and had seven points on 3-of-10 shooting. Sharpe started in place of forward Deni Avdija, who is averaging 9.0 points and 5.6 rebounds. In 13 minutes off the bench, Avdija missed all five of his field-goal attempts. He added four assists.
