:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/5196127/20121217_mje_sd9_566.0.jpg)
It's better if you simply do not think about what happened last night in Orlando. Today, the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the World Champion Miami Heat. They will do so without Ricky Rubio and a host of other players. Hopefully Kevin Love can avoid getting flu like symptoms at the hotel bar following that loss when he grabs a hotel door handle that had diseased Florida boogers on it.
I keed, I keed.
The Miami Heat lead the Southeast Division with a 15-6 record heading into tonight's tilt. They have the best player on the planet as well as two of the best 2 guards in the game. Oh, as much as I'd like to believe otherwise, Chris Bosh is pretty damn good, too.
It could be a long night for Our Beloved Puppies. After pulling out to a double-digit lead in Orlando they reverted to Wittman/Rambis days while executing a brainfart-fueled collapse not seen since the days of...well, it hasn't actually been that long.
Losses like these can be written off in onesies and maybe even twosies. However, once 3-5 probable-wins-turned-into-unlikely-losses start showing up on the record, then you're looking at 1 out of every 16 or so games being FUBAR'd, and that's a big factor in being in or out of the playoffs.
Last night the Wolves notched the 2nd of these types of losses. The first came against Charlotte. In order to offset these losses, the team needs to notch some improbable-victories-created-from-likely-losses. So far the Wolves have these sorts of wins against New Jersey and that's about it. (Indiana was close.)
If the +/- on these sorts of wins and losses gets too far out of whack, then we have some s**t to worry about. Until then, let's just write last night's tilt off as a weird outcome where Kevin Love and Pek had their rear ends handed to them by Glen Davis and Gustavo Ayon in the 2nd half and call it a day.
Tonight, the Wolves will need big performances from their bigs, as well as some answered prayers for solid outside shooting. If they can get the Miami bigs in early foul trouble while shooting as close to 45% as possible, they have a puncher's chance. If not, well, good luck.
Our blogging buddies for the day are over at Hot Hot Hoops.
Until later.