Four straight losses have left Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards frustrated with his teammates.
Edwards has expressed his displeasure with the immature style of basketball that Minnesota has been playing. He hopes the Timberwolves can shed this when they face the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night in Minneapolis as part of NBA Cup West Group A action.
Despite reaching the Western Conference finals just six months ago, Edwards sees a growing disconnect in the locker room. The Timberwolves’ 115-104 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday dropped them to 8-10, prompting the two-time All-Star to call for immediate change.
Turning things around against Los Angeles will be challenging. The Clippers have won six of their last seven games, most recently defeating the Washington Wizards 121-96 on Wednesday.
James Harden led the Clippers with a season-high 43 points, shooting 13-of-22 from the field and hitting 7 of 11 three-pointers.
Unlike Edwards, Harden has not voiced any complaints about his teammates. The Clippers could be even stronger on Friday if Norman Powell returns. The veteran guard/forward, who is averaging a team-high 23.3 points per game this season, has been out since November 18 with a hamstring injury.
Powell has performed exceptionally well against Minnesota, averaging 16.5 points on impressive shooting percentages (53.6 percent overall, 59.4 percent from distance) in six games. He could pose a significant challenge for a Timberwolves team that seemingly relies on Mike Conley’s optimism.
Conley scored 16 points to complement Edwards’ game-high 29 in the loss to Sacramento. Julius Randle added 21 points and nine rebounds, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 17 points off the bench.
Friday’s game marks the final contest of West Group A play for the Timberwolves, who are 1-2 in the in-season tournament. The Clippers are 1-1 and will conclude group action against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
The Houston Rockets have already clinched West Group A with a 3-0 record
