MINNEAPOLIS — There was a familiar cadence to the Timberwolves’ matchup against the Bulls on Thursday, Jan. 22.

Like their Jan. 20 loss at Utah, the Wolves built a double-digit lead against a struggling opponent. They let their defensive focus slack and before they knew it, the game tightened. The Wolves suffered a bad loss against the Jazz and they took another one against Chicago, losing 120-115 at Target Center.

Tre Jones provided the go-ahead bucket for Chicago with 31.1 seconds to play on a layup that appeared to be a defensive breakdown for the Wolves. Jones finished with 12 points and seven assists, while Coby White led the Bulls with 22 points and Josh Giddey had 21.

With the loss, the Wolves have their first four-game losing streak of the season. Julius Randle led the Wolves with 30 points. When Randle sat in the fourth quarter, the Wolves erased a seven-point Bulls lead with Naz Reid (20 points) playing power forward with the rest of the starting lineup.

The Wolves led 115-111 after a Jaden McDaniels 3 with 1:17 left, but the Bulls scored the game’s final nine points. An Anthony Edwards tying 3-point attempt from the left corner missed; Edwards scored 20 points while shooting 9 for 25 from the floor.

The Wolves had foul issues all night, an indication their defense was a step slow. The Bulls were 27 for 33 from the foul line compared to 14 for 15 for the Wolves.

What it means

Reid was the only Wolves player to provide reliable scoring off the bench. The rest of the bench (Bones Hyland, Mike Conley, Jaylen Clark and Joan Beringer) combined for eight points.

The lack of depth scoring is a concern for the Wolves ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, and perhaps this recent stretch could force affect how the Wolves approach that.

The conventional wisdom was the Wolves needed and were looking for a point guard, but perhaps a scoring option, whether guard or wing, would be a higher need now.

Wolves let Bulls back in it

The Wolves jumped out to an 11-3 start, but there was early foul trouble for Edwards, who normally plays the entire first quarter. Instead, Edwards went to the bench with two fouls within the first four minutes of the game.

The Wolves’ defensive intensity was there in the early going (but disappeared soon after) as they limited the Bulls to a 2-for-13 open to the evening, and that allowed them to carry a 32-26 lead into the second. Edwards began the second quarter and picked up his third foul at the 9:02 mark but remained in the game.

The Wolves got in foul trouble as a team early in the second, and their defensive intensity lagged as the Bulls cut into their 14-point first-half deficit. The Wolves led 61-60 at the half as Randle had 15 and Reid 11 off the bench.

The Wolves didn’t correct the foul issues after the half, as the Bulls went to the line another eight times in the third for a 93-90 lead entering the fourth.

Gobert on free throws

The Wolves have had some much-discussed issues at the free-throw line this season. They entered the night 27th in the NBA free-throw percentage (75%). Gobert has had an off year so far from the stripe (50%) compared to his career average (64%). He was 4 for 5 against the Bulls.

At shootaround, Gobert was asked what was contributing to his struggles.

“I think I just gotta shoot them. In practice I’m shooting 90 percent or more,” Gobert said. “I think it’s just me being comfortable out there and just shooting the ball. I get in my own way. I think too much.”

He added he had “zero worries” about regaining his form.

Up next

The Wolves play host to two consecutive games with Golden State, with the first coming Saturday. The Warriors this week lost former Wolves star Jimmy Butler for the rest of the season because of a torn knee ligament.

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