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These are not the Nuggets.
A series ago, Minnesota could play poorly for stretches, not entirely pay for it and still be within striking distance to crank the dial up and seize the affair when a dominant stretch of play.
San Antonio is far too good for that, as the Spurs proved Wednesday in Texas. Minnesota didn’t arrive at the arena with the requisite effort and execution necessary to compete with a 62-win team, and appropriately got its doors blown off.
Because the Spurs were ready. They had a refined defensive gameplan with lessons learned from their Game 1 loss. They were locked in on it, executing the finer points while bringing an intensity that put all the pressure on Minnesota to make the right plays in a decisive manner.
The Wolves doddled. They “hemmed” and “hawed” on offense, often settling for isolation jumpers. They didn’t get back on defense. Turnovers and bad shots on one end led to layups on the other.
“We can’t come out cool. We came out cool, and what happened? We got blown out,” Anthony Edwards told reporters. “My momma used to tell me a hard head makes a soft (butt). That’s what happened tonight.”
That’s the reality of this series. San Antonio is excellent. Even if they lack playoff experience, the Spurs won 62 games – including four against Oklahoma City – for a reason. They’re athletic, tenacious and deep, with a coaching staff capable of making adjustments and a top five player in the world serving as the hub of the operation. They have moxie, competitiveness and fire.
If they lacked belief, well, they should have it now.
If Denver was an ant hill, San Antonio is a mountain. This climb is far more treacherous. Minnesota could likely beat the Nuggets with its A, B or C game. The former will be required to win this series.
Which is why Wednesday was so alarming. Yes, Minnesota still got the split it went to Texas in search of, but Game 2 was a no contest. The Wolves punted without first playing a single down.
But what’s unclear is if Minnesota was satisfied with the modicum of success from Game 1, or if it fooled itself into believing the performance it came out with to open Game 2 was good enough. It now knows otherwise.
Such an approach can’t happen in this series. Because San Antonio is good enough that the Wolves could very well drop a game or two in which they themselves play well.
That wasn’t possible last round. It’s very much on the table in this one. The Wolves have to fight tooth and nail over the next five-ish games and hope they’re good enough to win three of them.
If they don’t, well, Wednesday was only a preview of what’s to come.
Because these aren’t the Nuggets. That’s a title contender on the other side. The Wolves fancy themselves to be in the same tier.
But they were “punked” by San Antonio on Wednesday, per Wolves coach Chris Finch. The same was true in Games 1, 2 and 5 of last year’s Western Conference Finals against Oklahoma City. In that series, the Wolves only brought their best stuff to Game 3, their lone victory.
Can they muster more now? They need to. Because Wednesday proved the Spurs were better. Not necessarily better than Minnesota, but certainly better than Denver, and also almost assuredly better than the Wolves thought.
The Spurs now have the Wolves’ attention. Will they also get their best basketball?
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A series ago, Minnesota could play poorly for stretches, not entirely pay for it and still be within striking distance to crank the dial up and seize the affair when a dominant stretch of play.
San Antonio is far too good for that, as the Spurs proved Wednesday in Texas. Minnesota didn’t arrive at the arena with the requisite effort and execution necessary to compete with a 62-win team, and appropriately got its doors blown off.
Because the Spurs were ready. They had a refined defensive gameplan with lessons learned from their Game 1 loss. They were locked in on it, executing the finer points while bringing an intensity that put all the pressure on Minnesota to make the right plays in a decisive manner.
The Wolves doddled. They “hemmed” and “hawed” on offense, often settling for isolation jumpers. They didn’t get back on defense. Turnovers and bad shots on one end led to layups on the other.
“We can’t come out cool. We came out cool, and what happened? We got blown out,” Anthony Edwards told reporters. “My momma used to tell me a hard head makes a soft (butt). That’s what happened tonight.”
That’s the reality of this series. San Antonio is excellent. Even if they lack playoff experience, the Spurs won 62 games – including four against Oklahoma City – for a reason. They’re athletic, tenacious and deep, with a coaching staff capable of making adjustments and a top five player in the world serving as the hub of the operation. They have moxie, competitiveness and fire.
If they lacked belief, well, they should have it now.
If Denver was an ant hill, San Antonio is a mountain. This climb is far more treacherous. Minnesota could likely beat the Nuggets with its A, B or C game. The former will be required to win this series.
Which is why Wednesday was so alarming. Yes, Minnesota still got the split it went to Texas in search of, but Game 2 was a no contest. The Wolves punted without first playing a single down.
But what’s unclear is if Minnesota was satisfied with the modicum of success from Game 1, or if it fooled itself into believing the performance it came out with to open Game 2 was good enough. It now knows otherwise.
Such an approach can’t happen in this series. Because San Antonio is good enough that the Wolves could very well drop a game or two in which they themselves play well.
That wasn’t possible last round. It’s very much on the table in this one. The Wolves have to fight tooth and nail over the next five-ish games and hope they’re good enough to win three of them.
If they don’t, well, Wednesday was only a preview of what’s to come.
Because these aren’t the Nuggets. That’s a title contender on the other side. The Wolves fancy themselves to be in the same tier.
But they were “punked” by San Antonio on Wednesday, per Wolves coach Chris Finch. The same was true in Games 1, 2 and 5 of last year’s Western Conference Finals against Oklahoma City. In that series, the Wolves only brought their best stuff to Game 3, their lone victory.
Can they muster more now? They need to. Because Wednesday proved the Spurs were better. Not necessarily better than Minnesota, but certainly better than Denver, and also almost assuredly better than the Wolves thought.
The Spurs now have the Wolves’ attention. Will they also get their best basketball?
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- Anthony Edwards helped lead Minnesota to Game 1 win over Spurs. So, why was he mad at himself?
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