Timberwolves Suffer Stunning Collapse in Loss to Bucks

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered a heart-wrenching defeat Tuesday night, blowing a 24-point lead to the Milwaukee Bucks, who outscored them 39-8 in the final 10 minutes, ending Minnesota’s five-game winning streak.

The loss dropped the Timberwolves from a four-way tie for fifth place in the Western Conference to eighth position. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch expressed confidence in his team despite the setback. “I have every confidence that we’ll be able to bounce back,” he said. “We’ve got good guys. They’ll shake it off. We’ve had some tough losses before in the season. We didn’t expect to go undefeated over our last 10 games.”

Despite initially dominating the game and leading 95-71 in the fourth quarter, Minnesota struggled mightily down the stretch. According to Sportradar, the game marked only the fifth time since 1996-97 that a team has rallied from a 24-point deficit in the final quarter, with the Timberwolves on the receiving end of a similar comeback earlier this season against Oklahoma City.

“We played great basketball for three quarters,” Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards said. “We have to acknowledge what happened, but you don’t let the world blow up just because of this.”

The Timberwolves’ collapse was attributed to the Bucks switching to a zone defense in the fourth quarter, which caught Minnesota off-guard. The Timberwolves converted only 4-of-20 shots, including 2-of-12 from three-point range, and committed eight turnovers during that time. “It was hard for every last one of us to get a look when they were in the zone,” All-Star guard Julius Randle noted. “It messed us up.”

Randle, reflecting on Minnesota’s previous success against zone defenses, recognized the unexpected challenge presented by the Bucks. “If teams are smart, probably,” he said when asked if he expected other teams to implement zone strategies against them. “I ain’t going to give them the blueprint.”

Despite the disheartening loss, the Timberwolves remain in contention for a playoff position. They are only a game out of fourth place, which would grant them home-court advantage in the first round. The team’s overall record in the Western Conference is better than that of several teams they are competing with for playoff spots.

Next, the Timberwolves aim to rebound on Thursday against the Memphis Grizzlies, who are facing challenges of their own with a key player sidelined due to injury.

The Timberwolves conclude their five-game road trip with two home games against Brooklyn and Utah, along with a crucial matchup between playoff contenders on Friday. “The next game is the biggest game of the season,” Edwards emphasized.