3 takeaways from Minnesota Timberwolves’ loss at Dallas
By Ethan Becker
3. Foul trouble
The Minnesota Timberwolves have always been a sort of middle-of-the-road team when it comes to their physicality. And, while the team’s 21 personal fouls committed in this game does match up with their season average of 21.9, it became a problem for them in this game as the Mavericks were able to turn those fouls into 18 points.
The starting lineup that Minnesota went into this game with couldn’t seem to stay out of foul trouble, as only two of the starters (Karl-Anthony Towns and Jarrett Culver) committed fewer than four fouls in the game (Towns still had three).
While 21 fouls won’t necessarily sink a team — the Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and LA Clippers all average more than that a game — when your opponent only commits 16 fouls and was able to halt any momentum you are able to build, that’s when fouls need to become a focus of your team’s game plan.