The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered a heavy 115-96 defeat against the Los Angeles Clippers on February 9, 2026, marking their second consecutive loss. The team’s offensive struggles were apparent throughout the game, with Anthony Edwards attributing the loss to the team’s inability to execute their offense effectively.
Low Assist Numbers Highlight Lack of Team Play
One of the glaring issues for the Timberwolves was their lackluster ball movement, as evidenced by only 17 assists compared to the Clippers’ 25. This stagnant offense prevented the team from generating quality scoring opportunities. Meanwhile, the Clips capitalized on open looks and connected on 51.9% of their three-point attempts, while Minnesota shot just 8 of 33 from beyond the arc.
Anthony Edwards Points to Offense, Praises Defensive Effort
Despite the loss, Edwards remained positive about the team’s energy and defensive effort. Reflecting on the game, he said,
“Yeah, for everybody. I feel like we had good energy today. I feel like the offense just wasn’t going for us. Especially myself. I have nothing to say about our defense tonight I think we did a pretty good job tonight.”
—Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves’ Guard
Edwards also acknowledged the need to bring consistent energy moving forward, stating,
“Bring the energy, we got a game tomorrow so I’ll just try to bring the energy tomorrow.”
Coach Chris Finch Highlights Offensive Breakdown
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch pointed to a breakdown in offensive structure as the root of the problem. He remarked,
“We’ve lost our structure on offense. Our early actions, our early pass-pass,”
adding that the team had also suffered from a loss of pace during the contest. Finch’s comments highlight the disconnect between the designed offensive sets and the players’ execution.
Offensive Style Contrast Raises Questions
Minnesota ranks among the top seven teams in the NBA for total passes per game, averaging 300.9, which indicates a passing-oriented offense. However, their recent playstyle appears more isolation-heavy, generating about 10.2 points per game from pure isolation plays. This shift may signal a loss of cohesion between the coaching staff’s play designs and the players’ on-court decisions, causing the offense to falter.
Upcoming Challenge Against the Hawks
The Timberwolves now face the Atlanta Hawks, who have won six of their last nine games. Edwards expressed determination to improve as they prepare for the matchup, saying,
“We got a game tomorrow so I’ll just try to bring the energy tomorrow.”
How the team responds on offense in that game could determine whether they break free from their recent slump.
Anthony Edwards on what changed in the energy today vs the Clippers, compared to some losses and Ayo Dosunmus debut
“I mean Ayo came in and brought great energy. Bones, he always brings it, like I said everybody brought the energy tonight. I don’t think that was the problem at… pic.twitter.com/wCWgQ18y0t
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) February 9, 2026
Anthony Edwards on what he needs to do to stop the two game losing skid
“Bring the energy, we got a game tomorrow so I’ll just try to bring the energy tomorrow”
On if he feels that’s his responsibility
“Yeah, for everybody. I feel like we had good energy today. I feel like… pic.twitter.com/2arN83fHZg
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) February 9, 2026
Chris Finch on the ball movement drying up in the Wolves' offense of late.
"We've lost our structure on offense. Our early actions, our early pass-pass — kinda getting into the stuff that allows us to get a bit of a rhythm and build things up. And we've also lost pace, which… pic.twitter.com/hb0cZ9JOC9
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) February 8, 2026
