The 76ers Aren't Fooling Anyone With Their Timberwolves Blowout

Look, the Philadelphia 76ers absolutely smoked the Minnesota Timberwolves 135-108 on February 22, 2026. Tyrese Maxey went off for 39 points, and Philly hit 21 three-pointers. Good for them. You know what that reminds me of? Nothing from the 90s. Nobody was jacking up 21 threes in a game back then unless they were completely desperate.

Here's the thing: one big win doesn't make a season. The Timberwolves, for their part, beat the Sixers 126-112 just a year prior on March 4, 2025. Naz Reid had 23 points in that one, and Anthony Edwards added 18. That score, 126-112, that actually looks like a basketball game. Two teams battling, not one team just raining down bombs from deep while the other stands around.

"Pace and Space" Is Just Letting Guys Shoot

I hear all this talk about "pace and space" and how it's revolutionizing the game. Revolting, more like. The Sixers putting up 135 points and hitting 21 threes against Minnesota? That's not a masterclass in offense; that's just a bunch of guys launching shots because defense has become an afterthought. You think Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen would've allowed that kind of free-flowing perimeter garbage? They'd be in a player's chest, making every catch and shot a war.

The Sixers and Timberwolves have split their last 10 games, 5-5. That tells you more about these two teams than any one blowout ever could. It means they're pretty evenly matched, despite what that 135-108 score might suggest. One night a team gets hot, the next they go cold. It's the consistency, the grit, the defense that wins championships, not who can hit the most uncontested jumpers on a random Sunday.

Real talk: Maxey's 39 points were impressive, sure. But how many of those came from easy looks created by screens that wouldn't have stood a chance against an actual defensive anchor like Dikembe Mutombo or Hakeem Olajuwon? Modern basketball has become too soft. Too much emphasis on offense, too little on the grind. That's why we see these ridiculous scores.

My bold prediction: The next time these two teams meet, the score will be much closer, and we'll see a lot less of that arcade-style basketball. The pendulum always swings back, eventually.