Rarely can a team say it is 2-6 over its last eight playoff games and still be alive. That's the scenario the Timberwolves find themselves in ahead of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, after losing three consecutive games to start the series despite entering as favorites.
Minnesota blew a late lead in two of its three losses, letting prime opportunities to take a step toward the NBA Finals slip away in real-time. Is there an explanation for the Timberwolves' ugly stretch?
Various factors could be at play, from the energy drained during the team's grueling series against the Nuggets to the Mavericks' outstanding backcourt. Just don't rule out the possibility that a now-viral postgame workout by some Timberwolves players after their Game 7 win over the Nuggets could be a reason as well.
Here's what you need to know about the Timberwolves' workout photos and why they may have doomed the franchise's conference finals chances.
MORE: History of Timberwolves' playoff struggles
Timberwolves workout photos, explained
The Timberwolves posted behind-the-scenes photos of Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels working out shortly after their Game 7 win in the Western Conference Semifinals. They weren't received very well.
not satisfied. pic.twitter.com/qvp1r08K2N
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 20, 2024
Many NBA fans (and players) are superstitious, and the most superstitious among them put up a red flag immediately when Minnesota made the post. A few remembered a similar video posted by the NBA in 2022, showing members of the Phoenix Suns working out in the tunnel after a regular season win against the Warriors.
The clip of Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Cameron Payne and Jae Crowder intensely working out raised some eyebrows on social media, and it gained attention when the Suns were upset by the Mavericks in the conference semifinals six weeks later. Phoenix finished the regular season 2-4 after the video was posted, despite starting 62-14.
“Winners work” …the @suns put in extra work following their 4-point road W. 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/Tp1qeIkApk
— NBA (@NBA) March 31, 2022
"Phoenix did this and they have never been the same," one user replied to the Timberwolves, while another said, "Oh no this might backfire."
Phoenix did this and they have never been the same.
— T Hampshire (@trenthampshire) May 20, 2024
The Suns have only won one playoff series over a depleted Clippers team since their upset at the hands of Dallas, despite such a seemingly bright future at the time. The roster has changed dramatically around Devin Booker, to no avail, and two head coaches have been fired.
It's not lost on fans that the Timberwolves are facing the same Mavericks team, albeit one with a few roster upgrades compared to 2022. Minnesota has one of the brightest futures of any team as long as Edwards is on the roster, but as the Suns proved, staying at a near-championship level in the West is painfully difficult. Curse or no curse, the Timberwolves are watching perhaps their best opportunity slip away in real-time.
Did workout photos really curse the Timberwolves? Here's a deeper look at what's plaguing Minnesota.
MORE: Revisiting Anthony Edwards' college career, path to No. 1 pick
Are the Timberwolves cursed?
Well, the results speak for themselves. The Timberwolves have looked like a completely different team over the first three games of the conference finals, even if the games have largely been competitive. Minnesota can't get Edwards into a rhythm offensively, nor can it find a way to deal with the Doncic-Irving tandem on the defensive end.
| Series | Offensive rating | Defensive rating | Net rating |
| First round vs. Suns | 123.2 | 109.3 | 13.9 |
| Conference Semifinals vs. Nuggets | 111.8 | 106.6 | 5.2 |
| Conference Finals vs. Mavericks | 114.3 | 118.5 | -4.2 |
Of course, there are other explanations for the Timberwolves' meltdown than just a mystical curse. The Nuggets simply look like a better match-up for Minnesota, whose roster is uniquely designed to handle Nikola Jokic and limit Denver's offense. In an era of parity around the NBA, matchups matter more than ever.
The Mavericks, on the other hand, have an extremely talented All-Star backcourt. The Nuggets have a championship pedigree, but they don't have that kind of backcourt. The Timberwolves haven't figured out how to defend it, and Edwards also just hasn't played at the level he did in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
The Timberwolves' series against the Nuggets only lasted one more day than the Mavericks' series against the Thunder, but it was a grueling battle that required Minnesota to play two elimination games just to advance. Dallas never faced an elimination game against Oklahoma City.
One way or another, the workload appears to have taken its toll on the Timberwolves.
