Minnesota Timberwolves guard LaMelo Ball didn't pull any punches when assessing his team's performance in Saturday's 117-106 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
"We got our heads busted in," Ball told reporters postgame, including The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski. "So shit, we should be ready to play."
The Bulls were playing the second game of a back-to-back after arriving at their Minnesota hotel less than six hours before tipoff due to nationwide air travel disruptions.
"I think just not really respecting our opponent. We heard (about) their flight and their travel and everything, and I think people kind of took a little break back," Ball said. "But that's when you're really just supposed to hit. They just hit first."
Chicago raced out to a 58-45 halftime advantage and held double-digit leads in all four quarters as the T-Wolves - who entered the contest with the league's best net and defensive ratings - struggled to contain their opponent.
Minnesota also labored offensively, shooting 9-of-38 (24%). Ball was particularly cold, going 4-for-19 from three and 7-for-25 from the field.
"Like a little ass whuppin' by your pops or something. Get you back on track. Shit, we need that," Ball said about the loss.
Ball finished the game with 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals. He often opted for quick-fire perimeter shots instead of driving to the basket, something Minnesota has missed in Anthony Edwards' injury absence.
"You want him to stay confident in his shot, but I do also think that there were plenty of opportunities to get to the paint," T-Wolves coach Chris Finch said. "Not just for him, but for others, too."
Finch added: "We came out just trying to hoist up 3s, hoping that they would go in. They were so-so shots. Some were OK, some weren't. We weren't really imposing ourselves offensively."
Ball wasn't the only one to have an off night in Minnesota's loss, which dropped the team to 9-4 this season. Rudy Gobert's horrid start to the campaign also continued as he scored one point on 0-of-7 shooting. Jonathan Kuminga recorded 11 points while going 3-of-11 from the field.
