Why Blazers Got Blown Out vs. Wolves

The Portland Trail Blazers suffered one of their worst losses of the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers are starting their two-game road trip before the All-Star break on the wrong foot after losing 133-109 to the Minnesota Timberwolves inside the Target Center.

The Wolves led wire-to-wire, holding a lead as large as 26 as the Blazers were playing little brother all night long. The Wolves simply chipped away at the lead throughout the evening, ultimately building a double-digit lead and cruising against their division rival.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Blazers Can't Hang vs. Wolves

The Blazers were within striking distance for a little more than a quarter, then the floodgates opened when the Timberwolves went on a 12-0 run early in the second quarter. That gave them a double-digit lead that they never relinquished from that point on. The Blazers got to within five points, but it never got closer than that.

Julius Randall led all scorers with 41 points on 14-of-24 shooting. He also had seven rebounds. Jaden McDaniels had 21 points of his own, while Rudy Gobert had 17 points and eight rebounds. Anthony Edwards did not have a dominant evening, posting 14 points. Trade deadline acquisition Ayo Dosunmu had 12 off the bench, while Naz Reid had 11 to join his teammates in double figures.

For the Blazers, Jrue Holiday was the leading scorer with 23 points, five rebounds and five assists. Scoot Henderson played well off the bench, scoring 18 points, while Vit Krejci had 17 in his best game as a Blazer so far. Deni Avdija struggled with just 11 points on 3 of 14 shooting; he missed all 7 of his attempts from downtown. Jerami Grant also struggled with just 10 points on 4 of 11 shooting.

It was a tough night for the Blazers, who saw their three-game win streak snapped. They did not play their best basketball, but they are lucky to have a quick turnaround for the next game, so that they don't have to ruminate on this for very long.

The Blazers will have one more chance to bounce back before the All-Star break when they visit Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Utah Jazz, who have not done their best to beat the tanking allegations. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Fans can watch the game on Rip City Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.