ATLANTA — With the Timberwolves down 29 with 7 minutes, 52 seconds left in the fourth quarter in their game Wednesday against the Hawks, Anthony Edwards threw his towel up in the air during a timeout huddle and left the floor.

Coach Chris Finch had decided to empty his bench toward the end of the Wolves’ most embarrassing effort of the season, a 126-102 to the sub-.500 Hawks.

The Wolves were planning to fly to Miami after Wednesday’s game to ring in the new year ahead of their game there Saturday. They looked like they were more interested in getting there than playing a game.

Assistant coach Micah Nori said an interview with FanDuel TV during the game that the first half “was probably the worst half of basketball in five years since we’ve been here.”

The Wolves were down as many as 27 and played disinterested basketball on both ends of the floor. This was the second time in three games the Wolves have played with little to no effort, the first being Saturday’s home loss to Brooklyn.

Jalen Johnson had 34 for the Hawks while Edwards led the Wolves with 30.

What it means

This Wolves team just doesn’t seem to care about the regular season. With Nikola Jokic out at least a month in Denver, the path to the No. 2 seed is open in the Western Conference. But that appears to be little motivation to a Wolves team that made the conference finals as a No. 6 seed last season.

Even though they have only lost three of their last four games, the optics of how they lost are most damning in this loss and their Brooklyn loss. The lack of apparent effort or caring on both ends of the floor has been jarring.

Reunited

The Wolves said goodbye to Nickeil Alexander-Walker this offseason, as Alexander-Walker went to Atlanta in a sign-and-trade deal. In losing Alexander-Walker, the Wolves lost someone who gave it his all every game, someone who fans and coaches never had to worry about giving maximum effort every night he stepped on the floor.

So as the Wolves faced their former teammate for the first time this season, it was clear how much the Wolves could still use that kind of player on their roster. Alexander-Walker had 11 in a year in which he is averaging more than 20 points per game.

Horrible first half

The Wolves came out flat. The evidence was in their transition defense, something Finch has said he looks to as an early indicator of energy and effort of his team. Atlanta was running up and down the floor, even after Wolves made baskets. It was an intentional part of Atlanta’s gameplan to do that, coach Quin Snyder said before the game, and Atlanta played it to perfection.

Atlanta led 70-49 after the first 24 minutes, and the Wolves looked like they didn’t much care. The Hawks shot 50% and while they only officially had six fast-break points, they were making the Wolves scramble defensively.

The Wolves started the first half OK on offense with Edwards pouring in 24 and Randle 12, but the rest of the team wasn’t producing. They finished just 11 for 32.

Ant’s grandfather is back

Ben Edwards, the grandfather of Anthony Edwards, was back at State Farm Arena to see his grandson. Ben, 83, came to the Hawks-Wolves game last year and that was the first time he had seen Edwards play a game at any level since Edwards was a child.

Ben Edwards said his grandson recently funded a new paint job on the house he has lived in for over 50 years. He didn’t change the color pattern from its traditional green and white combination. Why?

“Green and white mean money and heaven,” Ben Edwards said.

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