Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 takeaways from Game 4 vs. Rockets

3. Turnovers and 3-pointers tell the story

It’s one thing to turn the ball over, but you can’t turn it over 16 times in one game. I don’t care who you’re playing, 16 turnovers are a recipe for disaster. It’s a bigger disaster when you add in the fact that you’re playing the best team in the NBA.

Every possession counts in any game of the season and to reiterate it, the postseason is that much more important. When the Wolves have a hard time defending the 3 or even putting up a lot of 3s on their own, it puts them at an even bigger disadvantage.

More from Minnesota Timberwolves

• 5 NBA players everyone should be keeping a close eye on in 2023-24
• Ranking the 4 riskiest boom-or-bust NBA teams in 2023–24
• Ranking the 10 championship-less NBA teams by closeness to title
• 1 Crucial skill that every Timberwolves star must work on this summer
• 3 players in line for a big raise during the 2023 NBA offseason

Turnovers lead to easy transition baskets. Often times you’ll get a high-quality shot at the rim. We see Houston constantly loving the idea of kicking it out for a wide open 3. Houston shot 43 3s and made 16 of those – good enough for a 37.2 percent conversion rate.

Those 3s for Houston start to pile up in a hurry and when it rains, it pours. Minnesota cannot keep up with the number of 3s they shoot. We’re talking about the best 3-point shooting team and the worst. (This is by the amount made and attempted, not by percentage.)

Minnesota was careless with the ball Monday night and that was not what you’re looking for. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with five turnovers, followed by Derrick Rose with four and Jeff Teague with three.

Minnesota is clearly the underdog in this series. If you don’t take care of the ball, you’re just pushing yourself closer to the edge of being eliminated. If the Wolves continue to be careless with the ball going into Game 5, they’ll find themselves losing and going home.