Wolves record: 18-42
Hours after owner Glen Taylor announced that season-ticket prices for 2009-10 were being rolled back, his team went out and played one of its worst games of this season at Target Center.
Against a Golden State team that came in with a 5-24 road record, the Wolves fell behind by an incredible 31 points in the second quarter of a 118-94 loss that extended their losing streak to seven games and 10 in a row at home.
“Well, that’s about as bad as you can play,” a clearly frustrated Wolves coach Kevin McHale said. “There’s no excuses for that. That was my fault. I didn’t have us ready to play. We didn’t get back, we didn’t defend, we didn’t do anything. We didn’t compete tonight, and that can’t happen.”
Jon Krawczynski/AP Sports on Warriors coach Don Nelson:
With 2:50 to play and his team down 20 points, McHale slumped on the scorer’s table and stared blankly while Maggette shot free throws.
Nelson walked down the court and put his arm around McHale to offer some words of encouragement, from one former Celtics great to another.
“I just told him sorry that his year ended up the way it did,” Nelson said. “It’s too bad, you know, we’re both Celtics. A lot of feelings for him.”
Afterward, someone asked Wolves forward Mike Miller about his back, which he hurt in a fall Tuesday.
“Feels a lot better than my heart,” said Miller, whose team has lost seven in a row and 12 of 13. “We might be shorthanded. We might be a lot of things. But one of the things we can control is how hard we play. … We got 20-something games left. I came in here and told these guys we’ve got to make a decision. We can’t play like that for 20 more games.”
Starting point guard Sebastian Telfair missed his second consecutive game because of a sore groin. Kevin Ollie again started in his place on a night when the Wolves went back to a small lineup — Miller in, 7-foot Jason Collins out — to counter the unorthodox Warriors.
Kevin Love provided a bright spot for the Wolves after he snapped out of a mini-slump with 18 points and 14 rebounds; recording his 17th double-double of the season. Mike Miller jumped on the glass as well and posted 13 boards in the seventh consecutive loss for Minnesota.
“We all better bounce back. That’s unacceptable effort,” McHale said.
17 Kevin Love’s double doubles (18 points, 14 rebounds), most among NBA rookies.
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