JUST IN:Mike Conley is missing from the Timberwolves following a catastrophic fourth quarter loss to the Spurs.

Throughout the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves offense has been a major source of worry, yet the squad has somehow managed to win games after wins. Their superior defense, which has been the key to their success thus far this year, is largely responsible for that. But contests such as the one Minnesota played against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night provide a clear illustration of a deadly weakness that could end the team’s season.

With a ten-point advantage over the Spurs going into the fourth quarter, it appeared that the Timberwolves would easily win their third straight game. But a meltdown in the fourth quarter left the visiting Wolves disappointed. San Antonio outscored Minnesota by 33 points in the fourth quarter, and the Spurs were able to respond with an 11-point advantage to seize the lead.

Finally settling for a step-back three-pointer from Karl-Anthony Towns with the game on the line and Minnesota trailing by one. Not only did it not fall, but the Wolves’ spacing put them in a difficult scenario in the final moments of the game, making it a rather dubious end-of-game shot option.

Finch tried to get Anthony Edwards to push his way downhill out of a pick-and-roll with Rudy Gobert with the game on the line on Saturday night. Theoretically, riding the hot hand wasn’t a bad move because Edwards had a fantastic game, finishing with 32 points on 12 of 18 shots and handing out 12 assists. Edwards had knotted the score for Minnesota a few moments ago. On the high pick-and-roll, though, Edwards took up his dribble too soon, which allowed the star guard to pass the ball to Towns.

Edwards then cut to the rim in search of the ball. Towns had little room to maneuver in the middle of the court because Jaden McDaniels was spotting up in the appropriate location. The Wolves’ final-second attempt at victory was a difficult, off-balance shot, and a late-game scramble ended their hopes of victory.

This call at the end of the game is not normal for Minnesota. For better or worse, the Wolves would usually isolate Towns at the nail. Towns missed a game-winning shot against the Charlotte Hornets and hit a game-winning shot against the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this season with the identical look. It’s reasonable to question if that play would have resulted in a more favorable shot versus the Spurs in this particular scenario.

The Timberwolves’ unlucky tendency has been their incapacity to win games without Mike Conley, save from the last possession. The Timberwolves have only a 1-3 record in the four games Conley has missed this season, and those three losses were all close contests that they were unable to win. Even on the second night of a back-to-back, losing in overtime to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden is not a terrible thing, but Minnesota had a really difficult stretch to close out regulation that caused them to lose the game.

Conley missed their previously mentioned home game against the Hornets the next night. The Timberwolves’ most embarrassing loss of the year came from this game, as the Hornets overcame an 18-point deficit to win in spectacular fashion, negating Towns’ career-high 62 point effort. The Wolves’ reliance on the 16-year veteran is evident from Saturday night’s loss to the Spurs in crucial time, which came after a strong victory against the Washington Wizards without their experienced point guard.

Head coach Chris Finch noted earlier in the season that Conley’s enduring moniker, “Captain Clutch,” had a purpose. When the game gets slower, Finch frequently asks Conley to take the lead for Minnesota. Conley, a wise decision-maker who rarely gives up the ball, maximizes Gobert in their side pick-and-roll, which helps the Timberwolves offense come late in the game. It seems like in the fourth quarter, Conley always makes the proper play, whether it’s a lob dunk, a Conley floater, or a kick-out to an open shooter.

Minnesota’s late-game offensive seems to vanish when Conley is out. The Wolves have only scored 23.5 points on average in the fourth quarter of the four games Conley has missed. Conley’s worth is much more evident when he’s not playing, even though the Wolves have struggled in the closing minutes of games lately. The NBA’s offensive is at an all-time high, thus the Timberwolves’ incapacity to finish games with a strong showing is concerning for a fantastic club.