MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves and their fans figured there might be growing pains as this new-look lineup that features Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert gets accustomed to playing with each other.
Few thought it would look this bad.
The Spurs, who are projected to finish near the bottom of the Western Conference, led by as many as 35 before they beat the Wolves 115-106 in an early wake-up call for a Wolves team that has designs on a deep playoff run. The Wolves' garbage time fourth-quarter run made the score look passable, but that didn't make up for all that came before it.
Perhaps it was just one game, but there were more than chemistry issues on display.
Their effort playing on the tail end of a back-to-back set of games wasn't there, and they trailed by 32 after the third quarter.
Their awful transition defense allowed 24 fast-break points. Their lack of fluidity on offense helped amplify San Antonio's runs and the multiple rounds of boos inside the building.
A bad night is easier to digest when a team has established a track record of high-level play, which the Wolves (2-2) have yet to do.
Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 27 while Anthony Edwards had nine on 3-for-15. The Spurs had six players in double figures, led by Devin Vassell with 23. Apple Valley's Tre Jones had eight points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
The Wolves trailed by 10 at halftime. But their lackadaisical nature in the third quarter again appeared Monday as the Spurs outscored them 36-14 to put the game out of reach.
