The Minnesota Timberwolves fell 112-106 to the New York Knicks on New Year's Day and Timberwolves coach Chris Finch wasn't very pleased with his team's effort.
After the game, he explained exactly what his team failed to do, per Timberwolves radio voice Alan Horton:
“‘They were punking us on the [offensive] glass.' -Chris Finch on Knicks rebounding 39.6% of their own misses — 95th percentile — and turning those into 22 points. Offensive rebounds & 2nd chance points was the difference in a Knicks 112-106 victory.”
The Knicks outrebounded the Timberwolves by a margin of 49-34. New York's 16 offensive rebounds led to 22 second-chance points, and that was more than the difference in the game.
Anthony Edwards scored 35 points, his third straight game above 30. Karl-Anthony Towns broke out of a recent scoring slump with 29, but the Timberwolves had a brutal second quarter after making 10 of their first 15 shots in a good start to the game. The Knicks outscored the Wolves 38-17 in the second quarter, then broke it open with an 8-0 run in the third that gave them a 19-point lead.
The Timberwolves have averaged 15.6 turnovers per game, third-most in the entire NBA. The only two teams averaging more turnovers are the Detroit Pistons (who lost 28 straight games this season) and the Utah Jazz.
The turnover trend carried over against a physical Knicks defense. Minnesota struggled to generate offense in the first half, posting just five assists compared to eight turnovers. The Knicks closed down the paint and forced Minnesota into poor decisions. On the night, the Timberwolves finished with 13 turnovers.
That, combined with the Knicks' offensive rebounding, is what did in the Timberwolves.
Minnesota has a chance to get back in the win column when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.