Just seven days ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves were riding high after tying the series with a Game 2 win on the road in Denver. Jaden McDaniels didn’t hold back either, saying, “Go after Jokic, Jamal, all the bad defenders… Tim Hardaway Jr., Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon—the whole team, just go at them.” When asked if he really meant all of them, he doubled down: “Yeah, they’re all bad defenders.” On social media, that quote is already being labeled as one of the biggest “aura plays” ever

At the time, things looked great, and based purely on the 3-1 series lead, they still should. But in reality, the Wolves’ title hopes took a massive hit right after Game 4. Donte DiVincenzo suffered a torn Achilles, and Anthony Edwards is now expected to miss multiple weeks with a bone bruise and hyperextended knee. The betting market reacted instantly. After Game 3, the Wolves were sitting at +7000 to win the Finals on FanDuel, but now they’ve plummeted to +25000.

What makes it even more telling is the series price. Despite leading 3-1, Minnesota is only -158 to advance. For context, other teams in the same position are massive favorites: the Los Angeles Lakers at -900, the Boston Celtics at -10000, and the San Antonio Spurs at -20000. That says everything about how the market views the situation.

Now the question is how the Wolves respond without two key starters, one of them arguably a top-five player in the league. Regardless of how this series ends, last Saturday will go down as a brutal swing for anyone holding Timberwolves futures.

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