The lane was blocked, there was no ball movement and shots were clanking. The TimberwolvesIn their preseason finale against, they finally revealed their Karl-Anthony Towns Rudy Gobert frontcourt. BrooklynThey were a new group on Friday night.
The Nets’ 112-102 defeat to the Wolves was a stark reminder for a team that had been receiving so much support from their 4-0 preseason start, and that they are far from being the team they want to be. Whether it was Towns missing the first week of camp because of an infection or Gobert easing into things because of Eurobasket, the Wolves have had very little time on the court — in practices or in games — to start to work on finding a rhythm for an unconventional starting five.
Chris Finch put Towns and Gobert together against the Nets to give everyone a taste of what it will be like with the two best centers in the league. He wanted them both to feel the discomfort and be open to new experiences, which they did.
The Wolves scored 3:38, but didn’t score a bucket to begin the game. They had a difficult time getting there. Anthony EdwardsTowns and Gobert went to the basket, Towns and Gobert remaining in the paint. They shot 7 for 33 (31%) from the 3-point line for the game. They trailed 16 points at the halftime break, had only 22 assists and watched Kyrie Irving Kevin Durant combine for 46 points.
