It took 2.5 quarters for the Minnesota Timberwolves to make the decision to play defense. On paper, deciding to play defense is a good thing. In this case, the timing was misguided, and it came 2.5 quarters too late.
The Charlotte Hornets came into Target Center Friday night and did whatever they wanted offensively. They forced the Wolves to collapse, zipped it out to open shooters, and took advantage of lazy switches and communication late in the game. LaMelo Ball looked like a previous iteration of Magic Johnson at points that just seemed unnecessary.