The 10 unacceptable losses that have soured the Timberwolves' season

Just when you think the Timberwolves are the real deal, they go and play down to the competition.

Mar 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

How many terrible losses can a team with championship hopes have in a season? For the Minnesota Timberwolves, it's been way too many.

Anthony Edwards called the 119-115 loss to the Pelicans, which came 48 hours after a 132-130 overtime loss to an extremely short-handed Pacers team, "embarrassing." He's right, and no one is going to take the Wolves seriously if they can't stop embarrassing themselves.

A lot of the issues this season have been clutch-time struggles. The Wolves lead the NBA with 43 games that qualify as clutch time—when the score is within five points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime—and they're a dismal 18-25 in those games.

While that sticks out like a sore thumb, the losses this week to the Pelicans and Pacers are the latest on a list of 10 losses that should be considered unacceptable. The other eight:

• 117-116 road loss to last-place Utah on Feb. 28
• 103-101 home loss to the Giannis-less Bucks on Feb. 12
• 116-114 home loss to the Kings after they traded De'Aaron Fox on Feb. 3
• 105-103 home loss to the woeful Washington Wizards on Jan. 13
• 110-105 road loss while blowing a fourth-quarter lead to the lowly Raptors on Nov. 21
• 106-98 road loss to a really bad Blazers team on Nov. 13
• 122-108 road loss to the same really bad Blazers team on Nov. 12
• 95-94 road loss to the Jimmy Butler-less Heat on Nov. 10

If the Timberwolves want to be respected as a true contender, they would've won all of those games. Championship contenders don't lose at home or on the road against the worst teams in the league, nor do they let golden opportunities slip away when they get to play the Bucks without Giannis Antetokounmpo or the Heat without Jimmy Butler or the Kings 48 hours after they trade away De'Aaron Fox.

Because the Wolves are unserious, they're 40-31 overall and in eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race. Had they not crapped the bed in those 10 games, they would be 50-21 and in firm control of second place in the West.

With 11 games left in the regular season, the Wolves are now a long shot to jump high enough in the standings for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. And getting a top-six seed to avoid the play-in tournament isn't a sure thing because they have to jump the Clippers and Warriors.

The only thing going in Minnesota's favor right now is the unfortunately pelvic contusion Steph Curry suffered when he fell hard in Golden State's win over Toronto Thursday night. The Warriors, who are 16-3 in their last 19 games, could be in trouble without their superstar as they embark on a six-game road trip starting Saturday in Atlanta.

Minnesota probably needs to win 10 of their last 11 games to have any realistic shot at a top-four seed. And if they don't finish in the top six, the pressure will be on in the play-in tournament and we'll find out how much intestinal fortitude these inconsistent Wolves have.