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The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Sacramento Kings tonight 123-118. Let’s see who won and lost the game.

WINNER – Evan Mobley is a Star

Evan Mobley had 19 points on 8-14 shooting in the first half tonight. A stellar performance that deserves all the praise we’ll soon give. But, after a similar first half the other night, we couldn’t help but worry that Mobley would disappear in the second and third quarters again, as he did in Charlotte.

Mobley didn’t take his foot off the gas this time.

The third quarter was a huge relief. Mobley continued to get to the rim and put pressure on SAC’s questionable interior defense. He worked his way up to 27 points by the end of the third frame, sustaining the aggression he showed in the first half.

Mobley finished with 29 on 13-24 shooting. He had a near triple-double with 13 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 blocks. That’s a beastly performance.

We don’t need Mobley to press the issue if he doesn’t have a favorable matchup or simply isn’t making shots on any given night. But when it is his night — when he does have an advantage and is getting to his spots comfortably — that’s when we need to see his usage skyrocket. Just like tonight.

LOSER – 3PT Defense

Quick trivia: Do you know which NBA team allows the highest opponent three-point percentage in the league? If you’ve watched the Cavs this season, you already know the answer.

Yep, Cleveland ranks dead last in opponent three-point percentage. A spot they won’t be in danger of losing if they play defense like they did tonight. The Kings enjoyed a full half of 60% shooting from behind the arc as the Cavaliers were a step too slow to closeout on shooters.

Obviously, three-point defense can be complicated. We wrote about that earlier today. But while the Kings were making some difficult shots, they were also generating too many easy ones. We all understand how momentum works, right? A few easy shots can give you the confidence to take and make the challenging ones. It’s not easy to put the jeenie back in the bottle.

Or in this case, slow down a team that’s already feeling themselves.

The Kings eventually did return to earth, ending the night above league-average from deep but crashing down from their scorching first half. I’d say the Cavs played a better defensive game in the second half, but they can’t continue to spot opponents free threes in the first.

WINNER – Rebounding

This King’s team doesn’t have much going for it. That’s not meant to be a diss, it’s just the truth. However, one thing they absolutely do have is strength and physcality. Those two things don’t always result in rebounding, but for a Cavalier team that has struggled with physicality, you’d assume the glass could have been a problem tonight.

Cleveland took care of business in that department, winning the rebounding battle 48-43. The Cavs had six more offensive rebounds and limited the Kings to 13 second-chance points. Win on the margins, win the game.

LOSER – Bench Scoring

There’s more to basketball than scoring points. I understand that. The Cavalier bench has mainly given value through their defensive effort and intensity (though those have been questionable at times, too).

But getting buckets is still the name of the game. And this Cavalier bench, even on their best nights, isn’t providing much offense.

Cleveland’s bench was outscored 73-23. You read that correctly. Now, the Kings had Domantas Sabonis come off the bench, which partially skews this number — but even if you remove his 24 points — the Cavs bench still got beat handily.

Again, there’s more to this game than scoring. But it’s a problem when your second units are routinely being outscored. I mean, that’s kind of the entire point of the game. The Cavalier bench is 24th in points per game this season.

The road trip is over, and the Suns are coming home limping, literally and figuratively. They went back to Atlanta, a place they have not won in since 2014, and I am fully convinced that city is cursed. In a 110–103 loss to the Hawks, Phoenix did not only lose a game, they lost $88.7 million in payroll.

It started with Jalen Green, playing only his second game back from a hamstring injury, exiting in the first quarter with hamstring tightness. Same leg. Same sinking feeling.

And yet, the Suns rallied. Down as many as 11, they clawed their way back and carried a seven-point lead into the end of the third quarter. Then the other shoe dropped. Devin Booker went down.

Now the Suns return home for a five-game homestand carrying more questions than answers. This is the kind of loss that lingers because we do not know the severity. We do not know timelines. Booker finished with 31 points. The Suns were in position to win, but once the stars were gone, the offense stalled, and execution vanished.

The road trip ends at 3–3. Respectable. But the bigger story is this. They are headed home, and they are hurt.

Game Flow

First Half

The Suns came out of the gate with good rhythm, knocking down six of their first 11 shots and hitting 2-of-3 from deep. Atlanta was sharper though, opening 8-of-12 and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Three different Hawks hit the five-point mark early, and that collective punch gave them a 19-14 lead heading into the first timeout.

There was one defensive possession that stood out immediately. Oso Ighodaro found himself defending a two-on-one break and held his ground long enough for help to arrive. The result was three straight missed shots by Atlanta. That is the kind of sequence he gives you quietly, consistently, and it still feels underrated, even as the appreciation for his work is starting to catch up.

Jalen Green checked in off the bench and showed a little rust early, which was expected. Then the speed showed up. He blew by Luke Kennard with ease, leaving him reaching for air and taking his ankles along for the ride. That burst changes the geometry of the floor every time it shows itself.

Unfortunately, right after that sequence, Green headed back to the locker room.

From there, the bench picked up right where it has all road trip. When Grayson Allen checked in, the Suns were down 19-14. By the time the first quarter ended, Phoenix was on top 31-27. Allen capped it with a driving finger roll as the buzzer sounded, finishing the quarter at +9 with seven points. The second unit drove it. 15 bench points, 7 of the final 10 shots made, and suddenly the Suns had momentum and a lead heading into the second.

Grayson kept it rolling to open the second quarter, staying active off the ball and cashing in on an easy look at the rim. But turnovers started to creep in, and they hurt. Phoenix coughed it up three times early, fueling a 16–9 Atlanta run that flipped the feel of the game.

Midway through the quarter, the Hawks pushed it further with an 11–2 burst that stretched the lead to eight. CJ McCollum, acquired in the Trae Young deal, was a problem. He poured in 16 first-half points off the bench, 14 of them in the second, and Phoenix never quite found the brake pedal.

Out of a timeout with three minutes left, the Suns answered. A quick 7–0 run tied it at 54–54, punctuated by a Devin Booker three. He followed it with another on the next trip, finishing the half 3-of-6 from deep with 15 points.

But McCollum had the last word, closing the quarter with a personal 5–0 run. Atlanta won the second 37–28, dominated bench scoring 20–8, and carried a 64–59 lead into the locker room. They had 17 fast break points to the Suns’ 4.

Second Half

As the second half opened, the Suns got the gut-punch confirmation that Jalen Green would not return, ruled out with hamstring tightness. And almost on cue, Atlanta twisted the knife. A 17–3 run.

If you are looking for insult layered neatly on top of injury, this was the moment. One piece of bad news, immediately followed by the game tilting hard in the wrong direction. You could feel it in the building. The air went out. The climb got steeper. And suddenly Phoenix was chasing both the score and the circumstance.

But the Suns did not fold. Not even close. Devin Booker grabbed the wheel and dragged Phoenix back into it, igniting a 20–9 run with shot-making and sheer force of will. He stayed scorching from beyond the arc, and after staring down an 11-point hole, he erased it himself. When Booker drilled his fifth three on his eighth attempt midway through the third, the Suns were suddenly back in front by one. Same building. Same game. Completely different energy.

And then the clamps came out. Phoenix turned the game into a street fight on defense, bodies on the floor, hands everywhere, every loose ball treated like it owed them money. They imposed their will possession by possession and pushed the lead out to seven.

Then, cruel timing struck again. In transition, Devin Booker glanced back, never saw Onyeka Okongwu step into his path, and came down on his foot. His right ankle twisted. Booker stayed down, pain written all over him, before being helped up and limping toward the locker room to join Jalen Green.

Booker had 16 points in the third and 31 in the game at the time of his injury.

The Suns won the third quarter 32-20, scored 12 points off 9 Atlanta turnovers, and showcased how disruptive they can be when locked in. They entered the fourth up 91-84, but down their two stars.

A 16–8 run by Atlanta opened the fourth quarter and immediately erased the cushion Devin Booker had built before everything went sideways. Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu each dropped 7 points to start the frame, and suddenly the Suns were scrambling.

Then we hit clutch time, and the obvious question was who was going to score. Collin Gillespie answered first, ripping off a quick 4–0 burst to put Phoenix back in front, 104–103. For a brief moment, there was order.

CJ McCollum ruined that calm. He had been a problem all night, and he stayed one, answering with his own 3–0 run to swing the lead back to Atlanta.

After that, the Suns offense flatlined. Completely. The final three minutes were chaos, perimeter passes with no purpose, rushed looks, heavily contested shots, nothing finding the bottom of the net. Atlanta closed on an 8–0 run, and that was the ballgame. Suns score 12 in the 4th and lose 110-103.

Up Next

The Suns head home after this long roadie and have the next five games at the friendly confines of the Morg. First up? The Miami Heat on Sunday at 6:00pm.

The Atlanta Hawks were at home on Friday evening to take on the Phoenix Suns. The Hawks were coming off a clutch win two days ago against the Memphis Grizzlies, and hoping to continue that momentum against one of the better teams in the Western Conference.

The last time these two teams faced off, it was a comeback thriller for the Hawks, as they won after overcoming a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Onyeka Okongwu got things started for the Hawks with a three-pointer.

The Hawks got into transition early, and Jalen Johnson found Corey Kispert for a three-pointer.

The Hawks were being rewarded for their defense on the other end, and pulled away slightly in the first for a minute. The transition points continued to pile up for the Hawks, and Johnson took this one for himself.

The Hawks continued to create easy opportunities for themselves, and it was even scoring throughout. The Suns started to make some shots late and ended up taking the lead late. The Hawks trailed 31-27 going into the second.

Luke Kennard got it going early in the second for the Hawks with two three-pointers and helped them take back the lead.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker absorbed contact on this play in transition to get the layup.

The Hawks were able to string together a few stops throughout the quarter, and capitalized on the other end to help extend their lead. It was the CJ McCollum show down the stretch of the first half, and he was able to get almost any shot he wanted.

Alexander-Walker joined in on the fun with McCollum, and both were able knock down three-pointers late in the game.

The Hawks went into halftime with a 64-59 lead.

The threes kept raining for the Hawks to start the second half, and back-to-back shots from Okongwu and Alexander-Walker helped them take a double-digit lead at one point.

The Hawks maintained the lead for a little while, but the Suns came storming back and went on a run themselves. It was the turnovers that doomed the Hawks in the third, and the Suns found every way to capitalize on the other end.

The Hawks kept battling late in the third, and they had to lead with their defense. Christian Koloko played some good minutes against the Grizzlies, and he did the same in this game.

Kennard kept shooting the lights out and helped the Hawks stay in the game.

The turnovers continued to hurt the Hawks, and they ended the quarter with more turnovers than field goals made. Going into the fourth, the Hawks trailed 91-84. One thing to take note of for the Hawks was Devin Booker going down late in the third.

The Hawks fought to start the quarter, and were able to keep things close. Johnson got this big putback dunk after a miss.

Okongwu tied the game with a three.

The game went back-and-forth late in the fourth, and the Hawks had just been in this situation with the Grizzlies. It started on the defensive end, as the Hawks were able to get some key stops.

A couple of shots from Johnson and McCollum helped the Hawks keep the lead, and more stops on defense sealed the deal for their second straight win.

Johnson finished with 23 points, 18 rebounds, and nine assists, Okongwu finished with 25 points, and McCollum finished with the 21 points.

The Hawks will be back in action on Monday against the Indiana Pacers.

What’s the phrase, insult to injury. There is something about Atlanta. State Farm Arena feels cursed, at least for the Phoenix Suns. They have not won in this city since 2014, and on Friday night, the bad juju showed up again. Only his second game back, and Jalen Green was lost once more.

That kind of moment hits a team in the chest. This is a group that has lived the rehab with him, sweat by sweat, day by day. You can see how much joy he gets from playing with, how badly he wants to be out there, and when that gets taken away again, it lands emotionally. Hard.

Devin Booker tried to steady everything. He poured in 16 points in the third quarter and finished with 31, dragging the Suns forward with force of will alone. And then, because Atlanta apparently demands a sacrifice, it happened again.

With 5.2 seconds left in the quarter, Booker was running back in transition. He glanced over his shoulder, never saw Onyeka Okongwu in front of him, and stepped on his foot. His right ankle twisted. He hit the floor in pain, then limped off toward the locker room.

On a night already weighed down by losing Jalen Green, the Suns were forced to process losing Devin Booker too. I do not know much in this world. But I know this. I hate Atlanta.

The Suns lost the game 110-103 as their offense became inept in the fourth quarter, scoring just 12 points. And Booker? Per Jordan Ott, he left on crutches.

The Lakers (26-17) will continue their road trip in Dallas, where they will face the Mavericks (19-26). LA looks to get back in the win column by snapping Dallas’ current four-game winning streak.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks

When: 5:30 p.m. PT, Jan. 24

Where: American Airlines Center

Watch: ABC

The theme that has been evident in the Lakers’ current road trip thus far has been being in comeback games. They successfully came back against the Nuggets thanks to their improved defense and energy in the second half, but it wasn’t the same script against the Clippers.

This is something they’ve done often this season, where they allow themselves to get punched early in the game and when it looks like they’re about to fold, they trim the lead to within striking distance and oftentimes have escaped with the victory.

After all, they’re 13-2 in clutch games this season and that says a lot about this team’s penchant for cramming their way to victory.

But, as commendable as it is to be a really good clutch-time performing team, at one point will the Lakers just dominate an opponent?

On Saturday, let’s see if they can buck the trend of getting down and rallying back and just outright beat Dallas.

This will also be the second time Dončić returns to his former home since the blockbuster trade last February.

Expect this one to be another emotional game for the 26-year-old, who often talks about how special his seven-year tenure was with the Mavericks.

The Mavericks may have lost Anthony Davis to injury, but they’re playing well right now.

They’ve strung together four straight quality wins, including their most recent victory against the Warriors. This is a team that will definitely attempt to throw the first punch on the purple and gold, and it’s up to the latter to take it well and fight back early.

Given that Dončić is back in his old playground, it’s fair to expect him to be more aggressive and fired up in this one from the get-go.

Outside of Dončić and obviously LeBron James, the Lakers’ role players also need to step up. In the loss to the Clippers, JJ Redick said the team didn’t pass the ball well, a consistent theme in all their defeats this season.

The Mavericks are the opposite of the Lakers in the sense that they’re very good on defense but atrocious on offense. So this game will be a clash of styles, and the team that performs best at what they excel att will be the one to come out on top.

Notes and Updates

• The last time these two teams faced off was back in November of last year, when the Lakers crushed the Mavericks in the fourth quarter to seal the win. They also trailed at halftime and gave up 40 points in the second quarter to the Mavericks. The Mavs were led by Cooper Flag, who had 13 points and a career-high 11 assists. It was one of his best games of the season as well. Expect another strong performance from the rookie in this one.
• As for the injury report, the Lakers note Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) are listed as out.
• For the Mavericks, Daniel Gafford (ankle), Anthony Davis (finger), Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery), Kyrie Irving (knee) and Dante Exum (knee injury) are out.
• Moussa Cisse (illness) is questionable while Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain) is probable.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

Jalen Green was a cornerstone piece in the deal that sent Kevin Durant to Houston, and unfortunately, he has spent far too much of his Suns tenure in street clothes. We saw the upside early. That season opener against the Clippers, where he detonated for 29 points, was electric. Then, cruelly on brand, the very next game against that same team, he re-aggravated the hamstring and disappeared into the injury abyss.

Tuesday night in Philadelphia finally felt like the reset. After missing 33 games, Green returned, logged 20 minutes, and looked like himself. Quick. Springy. Confident. The burst was there.

And then history tapped us on the shoulder again.

In the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks, Green went left, crossed back right, blew past Luke Kennard like he was standing in wet cement, and finished at the rim with ease. Two points. Pure speed. A glimpse of what this could be.

Moments later, he headed straight to the locker room. Same movie. Same pit in the stomach.

He would not return, ultimately being ruled out with right hamstring tightness.

And now the real questions start creeping in, the kind you feel before you even finish asking them. Is his season over? Is this something that leads to surgery? Do the Suns now have to revisit the trade market for help they never planned on needing because Jalen Green was supposed to be that help?

You hope for good news. You always do. But it is deflating. Deeply so.

And it feels painfully familiar. In cruel, very Suns fashion, a young, explosive star who never missed time before arriving in Phoenix suddenly cannot stay on the floor. It is maddening. It is unfair. And it forces conversations nobody wanted to have right now.

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t found their usual consistency on the defensive end this season. When asked about why that’s been the case before Friday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, head coach Kenny Atkinson pointed to one thing: Three-point defense.

“We’re number one in taking away [shots at] the rim in the last 15 [games]… we got two elite shot blockers,” Atkinson said. “[We have to] somehow bring their (three-point) percentages down.

“I’m taking suggestions.”

Three-point defense has been one of the main problems for the Cavs. They rank last in opponent three-point percentage this season, as teams are converting 38.2% of their outside shots against them. Atkinson is trying to figure out what has led to this.

“We’re looking at all things,” Atkinson said. “What’s their shot quality? How can you get their shot quality down? How can we contest better? How can our jump height be better at the contest? What hand are we putting up?”

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Opponent three-point shooting is complicated. Good defense doesn’t always get rewarded, while bad defensive possessions can be bailed out by a lucky miss. Atkinson alluded to their recent win against the Charlotte Hornets as a situation where their opponent just missed shots. The numbers would seem to suggest this.

Charlotte went just 8-47 from three (17%). Of those 47 outside attempts, 30 of them came with no defender within six feet at the time of the shot, and they only hit five of them (16.7%), according to the NBA’s tracking data. On the season, the Hornets are connecting on 40.1% of their wide-open three-point shots, which is good for the sixth-best percentage in the league. Wednesday’s game was an outlier.

“There’s a lot of pieces to that,” Kings head coach Doug Christie said when asked about what leads to a team being good at defending the three-ball. He then listed three things that could make this an issue. All are things that apply to the Cavs’ current situation.

First, it can be a reflection on point-of-attack defense.

“It could be from getting beat off the dribble, and now you can get the ball out [for an open three],” Christie said. “Basketball is about creating advantages. Once the advantage is created, you want to keep that advantage, so now you swing the ball out.”

Cleveland has struggled in this area.

Isaac Okoro spent much of the last few seasons defending their opponent’s best scoring guard. No one has been able to step up and take that assignment in his absence. Additionally, Darius Garland has struggled with mobility, and the effort from the remaining guards just hasn’t been what it needs to be to have a good perimeter defense.

Then, there’s running opponents off the line.

“It could also be the ability to close out in space,” Christie said. “Are you running them off the line? Are you arriving late? Do they feel you? A lot of times, if you just run out at this level, guys just don’t see. They’re programmed to rise up, see their target, and shoot the basketball. So you have to arrive early, and that means multiple efforts.”

The Cavs are struggling to do this as well. Opponents are attempting more threes against them this season than they ever have in the core four era. Cleveland is giving up the 15th most three-point attempts. Each of the last four seasons, the Cavs were allowing the eighth fewest three-point attempts or better. Part of that is from failing to run opponents off the line and then rotating to the open man.

“I know we can do a better job of bringing three-point attempts down,” Atkinson said. “That’s what you control more than the makes and misses, believe it or not. I know everybody freaks out when people say that, but that has been established.”

Lastly, it could be from prioritizing protecting the rim.

“If you’re trying to protect the paint, you see a downhill drive, and all of a sudden you get in the gap, and you protect the paint,” Christie said. “That means you left your man. He’s standing there, so someone has to stunt, and that stunt has to be hard enough that they feel you not want to shoot the basketball that allows you to get back to your man. And that’s called second and third, multiple efforts. On a night-to-night basis, in our league, the really elite teams that are down about that, they give that effort up.”

Cleveland has done an excellent job of protecting the rim this season. That, more than anything, is the most important part of having a good defense. They have the second-best opponent field-goal percentage at the rim, but the defensive effort shouldn’t stop at just preventing shots at the basket.

“The rim is, in our philosophy, the number one priority,” Atkinson said, “In an ideal world, you’re taking away the rim, and you’re limiting threes. That’s the perfect defense.”

The Cavs are still looking for the perfect defense. They’re doing some things right, but until the perimeter defense consistently does better at the point of attack, shows more effort rotating, and is clear on how the rotations should happen, they’ll continue to struggle with this. Fortunately, they still have time to get these issues ironed out.

“We’re on the details, but the fact of the matter is, we’re going to try and bring the percentages down,” Atkinson said. “Our defense will get better.”

Some rumors and some ideas will simply never end. In 15 years, Canon Curry will be shooting 55% from deep for the Golden State Warriors, and various reporters will be mentioning the team’s desire to trade for LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo to pair with the third generation shooter.

But that’s a story for another year, to be written by the replacement to my replacement’s replacement. For now, we focus on 2026 when, wouldn’t you know it … the Warriors are reportedly trying to add two of the seminal stars of this era.

With the current season all but over following Jimmy Butler III’s season-ending ACL tear, the Warriors are, justifiably, turning their attention to the offseason. And they are, justifiably, doing it with their vintage “light years” approach of audacious planning.

Yes, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Warriors have their eyes set towards a summer of LeBron and Giannis. Here’s what Fischer wrote on Thursday:

Sources say that the Warriors naturally do plan to feature prominently in the trade mix for Milwaukee’s Antetokounmpo if he truly becomes available via trade this offseason while also exploring the prospect of teaming James with Stephen Curry at last once LeBron becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30.

This audacious plan, while unlikely to come to fruition, has become more plausible over the last 48 hours. The situation with Antetokounmpo and the Bucks is seemingly growing worse daily, with ESPN’s Shams Charania saying, “the writing is on the wall.” As for James, the curtain is being pulled back on the Lakers’ dysfunction, and signs are increasingly pointing towards this being his final season in the purple and gold. An ESPN exposé by Baxter Holmes on Wednesday painted the picture of a tense and uncomfortable relationship between LeBron and Jeanie Buss … and, just as importantly, implied that Buss might be ready to move on from James when he enters free agency later this year.

The Warriors have a path to acquiring each — and even both — this offseason, but it’s not the path that’s likely to be taken. Butler’s expiring contract matches Antetokounmpo’s, and Golden State could build a decently compelling package based around a bevy of first-round picks. That package becomes more interesting if they hang onto Jonathan Kuminga past the deadline, opt into his deal for next season, and can include his expiring contract to take some more long-term money off of Milwaukee’s books. Even so, the Warriors probably can’t put together the best package for Antetokounmpo, and may have to rely on the two-time MVP desiring a pairing with Curry … and Milwaukee doing what they can to facilitate that desire.

Signing James is even less likely. Despite Golden State’s interest, I’m not convinced they would swap Butler for LeBron in a sign-and-trade and, if not, any move would be contingent on James taking a non-max contract to team up with Curry. If he were willing to sacrifice half of his salary, the Warriors could work a sign-and-trade around a Kuminga package … and if he were willing to sacrifice a few more tens of millions, he could sign outright as a mid-level exception. We know LeBron would love to play alongside Curry and Draymond Green, and he has not been shy in his adoration for Steve Kerr. Would all of that, plus a chance to compete for another ring, compel him to take a massive discount for the first time in his storied career? Seems unlikely, but one never knows what a player desires in the twilight of their career.

Of course, since this is Joe Lacob we’re talking about, it’s safe to assume the Warriors are not just hoping for one of these far-fetched outcomes, but both of them. In the interim, don’t expect the Warriors to take a “shoot for the stars, land on the clouds” approach with Butler’s contract. According to Fischer, the Dubs “don’t plan to entertain any move involving Butler unless a truly top-tier trade target tries to push their way toward teaming up with Curry.” Fischer specifically said that Golden State has not shown interest in Anthony Davis, and I would assume it is only an Antetokounmpo-level talent that would get their attention.

It can’t hurt to dream…

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Golden State Warriors
Date: January 24th, 2026
Time: 4:30 PM CST
Location: Target Center
Television Coverage: ABC
Radio Coverage: Wolves App, iHeart Radio

It’s one thing to break your New Year’s resolution when the calendar creeps into late January. That’s normal. That’s human. That’s “I’ll start dieting again Monday” culture. It’s another thing to look that resolution dead in the eyes, and decide to binge eat your way through the Pizza Hut buffet like breadsticks are going out of style.

That’s where the Minnesota Timberwolves are right now.

Because whatever that early-January version of the Wolves was, the one that came out of the Nets/Hawks embarrassment like a team that finally got tired of hearing its own excuses, it has vanished. Those Wolves played like they had a shared password to the same brain: intensity, ball pressure, rotating on a string, moving the ball, making the extra pass, making the extra effort, turning games into suffocation chambers. They were stacking wins and building actual credibility. It felt like a pivot point.

And then the last week happened.

Four straight losses. It has been a self-inflicted wound festival, the kind where you watch the tape afterward and it’s just a highlight reel of bad decisions, like you’re watching a horror movie and the teenager is walking into the basement again.

You can almost memory-hole Houston and San Antonio if you’re feeling generous. Houston was without Ant, San Antonio was without Rudy, and those are the exact two players who give the Wolves their identity on both ends. Missing your best offensive player and then your best defensive player in back-to-back games against elite West competition is a legitimate obstacle. Fine. The problem is those games were still there. Minnesota could’ve stolen the Houston one if they had simply treated the free throw line like something that matters in professional basketball. And the Spurs game became a case study in “how do you give up 48 points in a quarter and still convince yourself you’re a serious team?”

But the real slide started when the injuries stopped being the headline and the effort became the story.

Utah was the line in the sand game, the “get right, handle business, be a pro” game, and Minnesota treated it like a casual open run. Double-digit lead, rested legs, opponent on a back-to-back… and then they got outscored by 17 in the fourth and folded like they had somewhere better to be. You want to know how teams end up in the play-in even though they have top-four talent? It’s nights like that. You want to know how fans start making April bracket scenarios with dread instead of excitement? It’s nights like that.

Then came Chicago at Target Center, and they somehow topped Utah in the most Wolves-possible way: by blowing multiple double-digit leads, turning the intensity switch on and off like a teenager flicking the light in the hallway just to be annoying, and losing the game in the exact moments that separate grown-up teams from teams that are still trying to figure out who they are.

They had it. They had it. That corner three by Jaden to go up four in the final minutes is the kind of shot that’s supposed to be the turning point. That’s the moment you’re supposed to feel the opponent’s shoulders slump. And then… a weak closeout gifts Kobe White a three to cut it to one. In that situation, you absolutely cannot allow the three. If they score a two, you’re still up two and you can live with it. A three changes the entire math problem. And Minnesota just… let it happen.

Then the turnover came. Then the interior breakdown. Then Ant went into hero mode, clanging threes while the rest of the offense stood around watching. I don’t even want to bury him for it because he’s bailed them out so many times this season it’s basically become a personality trait. But this wasn’t one of those nights where the “Ant saves everyone” script made sense. There were multiple instances where ball movement, actual basketball, could’ve gotten them a better look and a better chance to win.

So now the Wolves are where they swore they wouldn’t be: entrenched in the play-in neighborhood, staring at the West standings like they’re watching their phone battery hit 3% with no charger in sight. And the worst part is that a week ago, we were talking about the two seed chase like it was a real thing. Not a fantasy. A real thing.

Now they get a two-game home stand against Golden State, a team they’re suddenly jockeying with, a team that’s wobbling a bit itself, especially with Jimmy Butler’s injury hanging over everything. But here’s the thing about the Warriors: even in their messy eras, they still have Steph Curry and Steve Kerr. They still have a built-in competence level that punishes teams who show up half-awake. And if Minnesota brings the same sleepy, lazy, “we’ll turn it on later” energy we’ve seen the last two games, Golden State will absolutely take their lunch money.

This is not optional anymore. They cannot let the losing streak hit five. Not with the West this tight. Not with April consequences looming.

So yeah, maybe a familiar rival, a team with postseason history, a team that tends to pull emotion and feistiness out of Minnesota… maybe that’s the kick in the ass they need.

Keys to the Game

1. Play defense. No, really — play defense.
Not “run back and point at someone.” Not “funnel everything into Rudy and hope he cleans it up.” Not “let’s gamble for steals because rotating is hard.” Actual defense. Ball pressure. Staying attached. Getting through screens like they’re being paid to do it (news flash: they are). The Wolves have become this bizarre team where the defense sometimes looks like a top-two unit and sometimes looks like a preseason scrimmage where everyone’s trying not to get sweaty. That can’t happen against Steph Curry, because Curry doesn’t need you to make five mistakes. He only needs one. And if the Wolves are going to win this, it has to start with their wings deciding that resistance isn’t optional. Rudy can anchor the back line, but he cannot be a security blanket for lazy perimeter effort. If you’re getting beat off the dribble and then shrugging because “Rudy’s there,” you’re not playing defense. You’re outsourcing it.

2. Make Steph uncomfortable.
Every team says “we have to locate Steph” like it’s a cute little checklist item, but it’s not a checklist item. It’s a lifestyle. It’s 48 minutes of paranoia. It’s knowing where he is in transition, knowing where he is when the ball swings, knowing that he’ll relocate after he gives it up, knowing that the shot can come from anywhere if you relax for a second. With Butler out, the Warriors’ margin for error shrinks. If the Wolves can keep Steph from going full nuclear, then suddenly Golden State is asking a lot from their secondary guys. But that only matters if Minnesota also stops gifting layups and back cuts like they’re handing out party favors. You can’t be locked in on Curry and asleep everywhere else.

3. Use the size advantage.
This is the simplest advantage in the world: Minnesota can put Rudy, Naz, and Julius on the floor and still have Beringer waiting in the wings like a change-up pitch. Golden State, especially without Butler, is not built to deal with that kind of bulk for 48 minutes. So make them deal with it. Swarm the glass. Own the paint. Turn missed shots into second chances and turn defensive rebounds into control. If Minnesota gets punked on the boards in this matchup, that’s not “bad luck,” that’s malpractice. The Wolves have to impose themselves physically and make Golden State feel it over time, not with dirty stuff, not with nonsense, just with relentless possession-winning basketball. The Warriors want flow. They want pace. They want you scrambling. Rebounding and interior scoring are how you put sand in those gears.

4. Run a real offense — not the “my turn, your turn” show.
This is the big one because it’s the one that’s been quietly killing them. When the Wolves are good, they move the ball and the defense has to react. When they’re bad, it turns into Ant dribbling into a contested step-back while everyone watches, and Julius turning into a black hole on the left block where the ball goes in and sometimes never comes out. They’re both talented enough to score that way in bursts, but building an offense around it is how you end up with those dead fourth quarters where every shot feels hard, every miss feels heavier, and then your defense starts sulking. Ant and Julius need to get theirs within the flow: downhill pressure, quick decisions, kick-outs, cutting, the extra pass. Make Golden State guard multiple actions. Make them rotate. Make them communicate. Because if Minnesota’s offense turns into iso sludge again, the Warriors will happily defend it, run off your misses, and suddenly you’re in that familiar spot where you’re trying to “flip the switch” with five minutes left.

5. Ant has to win the headline matchup — but he has to do it the right way.
We all know the resume gap between Curry and Ant historically. Curry’s a living artifact of the modern NBA. But time comes for everyone, and Ant is barreling toward his prime like he’s late for a flight. This is one of those statement spots where Edwards can remind everyone: “Yeah, that era isn’t over yet, but mine is here.” If Ant outplays Steph, Minnesota probably wins. It’s not complicated. But “outplays Steph” can’t mean “takes 12 threes because he’s feeling it.” It has to be smart aggression: attacking the rim, bending the defense, making the right pass when the trap comes, picking his moments from deep instead of settling. If Ant plays connected basketball, scoring and creating, it pulls everyone else into the game. And when everyone else is engaged offensively, they tend to actually defend, too. That’s the whole chain reaction Minnesota has been missing lately.

The Finish

There’s no more room for the Wolves to treat games like optional experiences. They’ve given away too much ground, and the West is too unforgiving to let you casually bleed losses and then “make it up later.” Later becomes April, and April becomes “why are we the seven seed again?” and suddenly you’re sweating a play-in game because you couldn’t close out Utah on a Tuesday or defend a three against Chicago on your home floor.

This Warriors mini-series is exactly the kind of moment that can either snap a team back into seriousness or push them deeper into the fog. Golden State is wounded, but they’re still dangerous. They still have the structure and the championship DNA that punishes teams who play cute. If Minnesota shows up with that tired, complacent energy again, the losing streak is going to hit five. At that point, you’re not “slumping,” you’re spiraling.

So this has to be it. This has to be the point where they stop bleeding themselves out. Defend. Rebound. Move the ball. Play with purpose. The Wolves don’t need a miracle. They need professionalism. They need urgency. They need the version of themselves that showed up in early January, the one that looked like it actually cared about what it could become.

Because the Wolves are still good enough to climb. They’re still talented enough to scare anybody. But talent without effort is just a fancy way to lose games you should win.

And if they can’t figure that out at home, against a banged-up Warriors team, with their season starting to wobble? Then we’re going to have to start having the conversation nobody wants to have, not about the two seed, not about a deep run… but about whether this team is sleepwalking its way into the play-in on purpose.