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The Minnesota Timberwolves came up short in a 103-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, a game filled with missed opportunities, cold shooting, and frustrating officiating. What made it sting even more was the fact that Milwaukee was without its two biggest stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Despite that, the Bucks found a way to grab the win, leaving Minnesota frustrated on multiple fronts. Rudy Gobert, who had one of the better performances for the Wolves with 20 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block, was particularly unhappy with how the referees handled the game. Although the foul count was close, 15 for Minnesota and 13 for Milwaukee, Gobert felt the calls weren’t consistent.
“When we feel like it's not consistent and not fair, that's really frustrating,” Rudy Gobert said postgame. “I know they're humans. They're going to make mistakes, and that's a part of the game. When I was younger, I didn't understand it, but now I'm wiser. I understand how tough of a job it is for them. It's a really tough job. They're always on the road, and we expect perfection from them. They are humans.”
He also pointed out the importance of knowing what type of game the officials will allow. “When it's not consistent, that's when I get mad,” Gobert stated. “When I get called for a push-off, I see Bobby Portis pushing off a couple minutes later, and it doesn't get called, it doesn't make any sense. That's all we ask. Consistency. So we can understand, are we playing physical, are we not? Are we very by the book tonight? The game can be played a lot of different ways. It's gotta be the same for both teams. That's all we ask.”
Though Rudy Gobert voiced his concerns about officiating, the Timberwolves' loss couldn't solely be attributed due to the refs. Anthony Edwards equally contributed to it, as the star guard had an abysmal night offensively. He scored a team-high 28 points but shot just 10-of-33 (30.3%) overall and 4-of-17 from three (23.5%). He also missed his final three shots, including a step-back three in the closing moments that could have won the game. Down two with 10.9 seconds left, Edwards settled for a deep jumper instead of attacking the paint, sealing the loss.
The Timberwolves started slow, trailing 36-24 after the first quarter. Defensive lapses and turnovers allowed Milwaukee to build a 16-point lead, but the Wolves battled back and had chances late. Naz Reid had 22 points and 13 rebounds but struggled from deep (1-of-7). Rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. provided a spark with 11 points, six assists, and five rebounds, but inconsistency doomed them.
Despite missing their stars, the Bucks found contributions across the board. Gary Trent Jr. led with 21 points off the bench, Kyle Kuzma added 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Brook Lopez hit the go-ahead free throws in the final minute. With 47.6 seconds left, Reid’s three gave Minnesota a 101-99 lead, but Kevin Porter Jr. quickly tied it with a jumper. Moments later, Lopez sank both free throws to put Milwaukee ahead for good.
The Wolves are now 2-6 without Mike Conley and head coach Chris Finch expressed the need for better offensive decision-making, especially from young guard Rob Dillingham (two points on 1-of-5 shooting). Sitting at 30-25 and seventh in the Western Conference, they’ve lost two straight and now face the NBA-leading Thunder (44-9) on Thursday.