Throughout the NBA season, the sadness of the NBA pandemic has normalized. We are used to canvas-covered booths, the noise of built-in fans and the tedious work of wolves. But sitting here at the Target Center as the lights dim and the central court lights up for the extended entrance show for the team full of howls and strobe lights, it seems anything but normal. The roughly fifteen scribes seated in the arena mapping the team’s death are reminded that fighting is prohibited and that rebel fans will be escorted out of the building. If I see something, like another member of the media in the arena taking off his mask to take a sip of water, I must say something.
Thus, it is understandable that players no longer want anything to end this season, or at least have taken a short break, especially as the losses accumulate. But perhaps players are so used to playing inside their own bubble on the court, ignoring fans and the noise around them, that they can simply turn off the absence of energy instead of their presence. After all, blocking the confusion of the T-shirt cannon brigade should strengthen the determination of any soul.
But maybe not. It was very easy to see the team wither when the Hornets went out for a run in the second half. The wolves were able to grab back to finish the half under six, but the tipping points, like Towns coming out at the start of the first half after scoring his third foul, looked like the air was being sucked out of a balloon already empty. Or in the third quarter, when Ricky had the ball plucked from behind when starting a counterattack and three Wolves retreated while the Hornets subsequently hit an open three. There are many bobbled balls, passages into the unknown and perpetual sniping after mistakes to make it normal.
And it shouldn’t be. The Wolves had another game in which they played like a typical NBA team for part of the game and soon fell into the trash in the third quarter. The Hornets ran and both teams realized that the game was over. The Hornets stopped trying and moved in the attack, destroying the Wolves’ porous defense. The Wolves lost in the third quarter by 36-20.
But still, with the Wolves, it’s not just that they are losing by twenty, the game is over. The Hornets did not play any tighter nor did they exude nervousness when the Wolves fired a few shots. Wolves are just as likely to descend, launch a three-point bullet that hits nothing beyond the table, and then release a lob dunk when someone is not paying attention. For whit, the Hornets started the fourth period with a 20-4 run against the supposedly Wolves fighters.
This pause is necessary to decide if the Wolves are a real team or if they deserve to be demoted to the underworld of blowing up the squad again.
As for the game itself, Jake Layman started in place of Josh Okogie, leaving Jarred Vanderbilt to protect Gordon Hayward. The Hornets isolated Hayward against Vanderbilt at every opportunity. Layman played well, showing the cutting skills that many thought would be best expressed when playing with good passers like Ricky Rubio and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The battle of the announced newcomers did not take place in the first half. LaMelo Ball was careless about basketball, but he clearly established himself as a threat to launch the lob while driving. The Wolves greats retreated towards their man, leaving Ball an open path to the hoop, when available. But for each outstanding pass, there was a direct pass for the other team. His score is real, though, as he solidly dropped three and made some easy buckets on the edge. Ball ended up with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in an apparently pedestrian walk.
Anthony Edwards had another difficult night. This was one of the first games that I saw Ant stripped several times on the way to the edge. He finished with 19 points, but hit 8-23 on the floor and 1 out of 10 on the other side. The less you talk about your defensive conscience, the better.
There were some new wrinkles tonight. Josh Okogie and Juancho Hernangomez were out of rotation, with Jaden McDaniels having his longest run with the new coach. McDaniels had a difficult offensive night, finishing 0-4 beyond the arc. Ricky Rubio and Jake Layman had the best games among the Wolves, each providing the respective 20 and 14 points. Karl-Anthony Towns faced problems and generally had a bad game, even though the statistics belied a typical display. The Wolves hit 9 of 40 from beyond the arc in one night when Ricky Rubio hit four of his six three-point attempts.
The team is entering the interval with a streak of nine consecutive defeats and appears to be the worst team in the league. We can only hope that the next chapter will be different.
To spend the night – The Oaxacan Old Fashioned
- 1 1/2 ounces of replenished tequila
- 1/2 ounce of mezcal
- 1 teaspoon of agave nectar (or simple syrup)
- 2 indents Angostura bitters
Happy All-Star break!