Raptors Squander Another Should-Be Victory Against Undermanned Timberwolves

The Toronto Raptors got a season's best 29 points from Scottie Barnes but struggled in the clutch in an embarrassing loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a season full of squandered opportunities for the Toronto Raptors.

They came into the season with what was considered to be one of the easier schedules in the NBA. They had more rest-advantage games than almost anyone else and it shouldn't have been so hard to pinpoint a few schedule victories for Toronto. LeBron James and Anthony Davis, for example, didn't make the trip north in early December and the Raptors ran away with that out. But far too often this year, it's gone the other way. Golden State knocked off Toronto without Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins in mid-December. More recently the Milwaukee Bucks have twice topped the Raptors without some combination of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday in both games.

Thursday's trip to Minnesota should have been easy. The Timberwolves were on the second night of a back-to-back after a late night in Denver and were playing without Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. In the NBA, that's a schedule victory.

Not for these Raptors. Nothing can be easy.

A 14-point fourth-quarter Raptors lead vanished with nearly five minutes of scoreless basketball by Toronto. When the Raptors needed buckets late, O.G. Anunoby missed two crucial three-pointers including a would-be game-winner in the corner as the Timberwolves escaped with a 128-126 victory Thursday.

Toronto simply has no answers for D'Angelo Russell in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves guard nailed four three-pointers, digging Minnesota out of a massive hole before Anthony Edwards tied things up with a three of his own. Moments later, a questionable rip-through by Russell drew a pair of free throws, giving the Timberwolves a late two-point lead from which they never looked back.

Fred VanVleet kept his hot streak going early against the Timberwolves, dropping 18 of his 25 points in the first half, including a pair of catch-and-shoot threes as the off-ball guard working with Pascal Siakam and Precious Achiuwa early. He followed it up later, beating Minnesota's blitzing defense with a deep three out of a pick-and-roll with Achiuwa. 

It's been over a month now that VanVleet has been Toronto's best playmaker. Even when his shooting stroke has betrayed him, he's found a way to create for others, working the pick-and-roll or getting into the paint before creating kick-out opportunities for others. To end the first half Thursday, he scored or assisted on 16 straight Raptors buckets as Toronto closed out the half with a 10-point lead.

Siakam had a slow start offensively but kept the Raptors going with some playmaking of his own. He found Barnes for a pair of dunks early in the second quarter and hooked up with VanVleet for three early in the third, part of his nine-assist night.

Minnesota pulled to within four midway in the third quarter after a three from DeAngelo Russell, but a steal from Gary Trent Jr. followed moments later by an O.G. Anunoby three prompted an 8-2 run for the Raptors.

Scottie Barnes, who led Toronto with 29 points, took over early in the fourth quarter, making the kind of ill-advised mid-range jumper that he's struggled with so mightily this year. He came right back down and drew a pair of free throws with a power move in the paint, threw down a one-handed slam on Toronto's next possession, and then capped off the Raptors' run by finding Joe Wieskamp for three to put Toronto up 14.

But the Timberwolves wouldn't go away. Russell had 16 of his team-high 25 points in the fourth, dropping Toronto to 20-26 on the season.

Wieskamp Makes Raptors Debut

Wieskamp made his Raptors debut opening the second half Thursday night. It took a little while to get him involved but he nailed a pair of catch-and-shoot three-pointers from Siakam in the first half

He did get blocked on a transition layup and had his pocked picked trying to start a fastbreak, but it was a solid nine-point outing with 3-for-3 three-point shooting for the 23-year-old on his second 10-day contract.

Up Next: Boston Celtics

The Raptors will return home for a brief two-game set beginning Saturday evening at 5 p.m. ET against the Boston Celtics