The Minnesota Timberwolves’ first game without Anthony Edwards did not go well.
Minnesota will try to learn from its mistakes when it tips off against the Los Angeles Clippers in an NBA Cup West Group B game Friday night in Minneapolis. It marks the second game for the Timberwolves without Edwards, who is expected to miss up to two months after undergoing a procedure on his knee.
After a 119-114 home loss Wednesday to the Golden State Warriors, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said his players put too much pressure on themselves to replace Edwards’ scoring. His message for them is to relax and worry more about making the correct play instead of trying to be the hero.
“I think it’s just guys feeling that they’ve got to step up, and everybody’s got to step up and try to fill some void,” Finch said. “I’ve long said this: The scoring void is one of the easier ones to fill. As long as you’re doing the right things and sticking in the flow, people will benefit from it.
“We don’t have to come out and seek our offense early. I thought everybody kind of launched a deep 3 on their first touch (on Wednesday). They weren’t going in, and that kind of played us right out of a rhythm.”
Minnesota has lost back-to-back games after winning its first three.
The Clippers also are eager to snap out of a funk. They won their season opener but have dropped three straight since, including a 103-87 defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
It was the worst offensive performance of the season for the Clippers, who are without several injured players, including Brandon Ingram, Max Strus and Bradley Beal.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said his players are giving good effort, but they are holding the ball for too long and getting caught in unfavorable situations. It is a problem he believes the team can correct as it goes forward, beginning Friday.
“They understand what we need to do,” Lue said. “I can’t fault guys for trying or saying like we’re being selfish or anything like that. I just think the way we need to play and how teams are going to guard us, we’ve just got to make quick decisions. If you see anybody in front of you, then we’ve got to get off of it to make the simple plays, and everything else will take care of itself.”
Pace and focus can help the Clippers create baskets when key players are out, Lue said.
“It’s the way we’ve got to play — up-tempo,” Lue said. “When we get stops, get out in transition and run, advance, attack early. But in the halfcourt, we’ve got to play just as fast because we are limited offensively (with the injuries).
“So when we get in the halfcourt, as much as we talk about running in transition, you’ve got to sprint to screens, you’ve got to sprint to cuts, you’ve got to do all the different things hard and with pace.”
One player who will try to bounce back is Timberwolves guard LaMelo Ball. He shot 3 of 11 from the field and 2 of 8 from beyond the arc Wednesday, and while he tallied eight assists, he also committed six turnovers.
“We’ve got to help him,” Finch said. “They’re putting two on him. We can’t get a clean pocket around him. We’ve got to be able to get him into some actions where we separate people from him a little better.”
