Game 33: Minnesota @ Houston

KGdaBom · Post #61 » by **KGdaBom** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:10 am

Loaf_of_bread wrote:Team should listen to Rudy...stick to fundamentals...

Rebounding, passing, low turnovers, defense..and it will all fall into place.

RUDY RUDY RUDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Murphs56 · Post #62 » by **Murphs56** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:10 am

Fantastic win. Back to playing focused defense. It's a long year so there's going to be peaks and valleys but we absolutely needed this performance.

KGdaBom · Post #63 » by **KGdaBom** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:12 am

Luka!!!!!!!!!!!

KGdaBom · Post #64 » by **KGdaBom** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:12 am

Murphs56 wrote:Fantastic win. Back to playing focused defense. It's a long year so there's going to be peaks and valleys but we absolutely needed this performance.

I agree we needed it, but the sky was never falling.

_AIJ_ · Post #65 » by **_AIJ_** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:15 am

Garza is so meh

KGdaBom · Post #66 » by **KGdaBom** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:15 am

27 point win. Other than the first few minutes it was wire to wire. Held them under 100.

Dalvin · Post #67 » by **Dalvin** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:17 am

AAAAAARRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Nice response to their first losing streak. Active hands made the game fun and the refs not calling every possession a foul has been fun to watch.

Post #68 » by **Klomp** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:18 am

We've locked in at worst 8-8 in this 16-game stretch

winforlose · Post #69 » by **winforlose** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:20 am

It’s not just that we needed a win. We needed a win that wasn’t playing with our food, or throwing the ball away, or soft on defense, or a power outage in shooting. In other words we needed a good win not an ugly one. This is a palate cleanser game which hopefully gets us going.

KGdaBom · Post #70 » by **KGdaBom** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:25 am

Klomp wrote:We've locked in at worst 8-8 in this 16-game stretch

Is it 8-4 or 8-5 so far?

Post #71 » by **Calinks** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:25 am

Just a perspective of how another fan from the opposing teams see's us. You don't hear this about a Timberwolves team ever.

Timberwolves are just really good. They capitalize on every mistake you make as well as 2nd chances off offensive rebounds. If you miss an open 3, you can bet your ass they will hit one on the other end for a 6 point swing.

The margin for error is minimal against this team and we have too many dumbass turnovers and missed open shots.

KGdaBom · Post #72 » by **KGdaBom** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:26 am

winforlose wrote:It’s not just that we needed a win. We needed a win that wasn’t playing with our food, or throwing the ball away, or soft on defense, or a power outage in shooting. In other words we needed a good win not an ugly one. This is a palate cleanser game which hopefully gets us going.

A win is a win is a win is a win is a win.
Taking care of Business.

winforlose · Post #73 » by **winforlose** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:27 am

KGdaBom wrote:
winforlose wrote:It’s not just that we needed a win. We needed a win that wasn’t playing with our food, or throwing the ball away, or soft on defense, or a power outage in shooting. In other words we needed a good win not an ugly one. This is a palate cleanser game which hopefully gets us going.

A win is a win is a win is a win is a win.
Taking care of Business.

This wasn’t taking care of business. A win by 10 is taking care of business. This was a STATEMENT WIN!!!!!!!!!!

gandlogo · Post #74 » by **gandlogo** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:29 am

Nice to miss Brooks for two reasons. 1 - didn’t have to watch Dillion Brooks. 2 - he couldn’t bait Towns into committing two fouls in the first three minutes. Houston is definitely improving, but they don’t have the horses yet.

FrenchMinnyFan · Post #75 » by **FrenchMinnyFan** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:29 am

Great win good performances from the team. Still too much TO for KAT and ANT but also lots of steal, Game today was much more structured, smart offense, good defense.

KGdaBom · Post #76 » by **KGdaBom** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:31 am

winforlose wrote:
KGdaBom wrote:
winforlose wrote:It’s not just that we needed a win. We needed a win that wasn’t playing with our food, or throwing the ball away, or soft on defense, or a power outage in shooting. In other words we needed a good win not an ugly one. This is a palate cleanser game which hopefully gets us going.

A win is a win is a win is a win is a win.
Taking care of Business.

This wasn’t taking care of business. A win by 10 is taking care of business. This was a STATEMENT WIN!!!!!!!!!!

Any win is taking care of business. At the end of the season when team are being seeded for the playoffs they don't look at average margin of victory. How many by 1 and how many by 30. However, I agree this game did make a statement that we aren't as dead/bad as some (mostly Wolves fans) were thinking.

shrink · Post #77 » by **shrink** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:49 am

HOU had the #4 Defense, and was 14-5 at home.

KGdaBom · Post #78 » by **KGdaBom** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 3:54 am

shrink wrote:HOU had the #4 Defense, and was 14-5 at home.

Eggzactly it was a total beat down on a team that was winning 3 out of 4 at home.

winforlose · Post #79 » by **winforlose** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 4:08 am

shrink wrote:HOU had the #4 Defense, and was 14-5 at home.

Gotta acknowledge that Brooks and Eason are a big part of that. Still an awesome win, just not against the #4 defense.

younggunsmn · Post #80 » by **younggunsmn** » Sat Jan 6, 2024 4:31 am

Solid win, we didn't shoot ourselves in the foot with dumb live ball turnovers leading to transition buckets or commit a ton of fouls.

Houston is not the same team without Brooks (as much as I can't stand him) and Eason.
Brooks is their best defender and actually has some pretty great shooting splits this year.
I like Eason a lot, I think he's underutilized. Outside of Sengun he has as much potential as any of their young players.

We did a good job getting into passing lanes tonight. 3 point contests were not good and rim protection was a mixed bag, but at least we were more aggressive and made them take tougher shots in the paint for the most part.
We weathered a few hot shooting storms to keep the lead at 10+ for most of the game.

Ant has been showing some good craftiness these past few games with ability to get guys in the air and draw fouls.
That's a big step. His teammates did a much better job of not putting him in a bad spot with awful spacing when he was trying to attack tonight.
You can't teach the top 1/10 of 1% athleticism and short area quickness he has, combined with his size and ball skills he is just a really really special player.

Bench was fantastic tonight, NAW, NAZ, Jmac, Kyle all with really solid defense and got good shots on offense.
Whatever has infected Kyle's outside shooting has spread to his ability to shoot layups though, just brutal.

Houston had a big experience gap tonight.
Amen Thompson super raw and my word even Okogie would smoke him in a shooting contest.

Garza looked awful again in garbage time.
Shout out to Finch for keeping Miller out after getting benched for absolutely dogging it in the G-League the other night.

Jaden's defense this year is not at the super high level he played last year.
He might not even be first team all=defense on his own team.
Conley, Ant, NAW, and Anderson all have arguments as possibly having better defensive seasons this year, and foul less.
But I'm glad he broke his shooting and scoring slump tonight because we really need him.