The Minnesota Timberwolves are still chasing the first championship in franchise history, and one of their biggest regular-season measuring sticks is now on the calendar.
On Wednesday, it was announced that Minnesota will head to New York to face the Knicks on Martin Luther King Day, January 18. The game will air on NBC. The full NBA schedule is not expected until Thursday afternoon, but this one already stands out as a showcase spot.
That makes sense, because the Knicks are the defending champs. For all the conversation around the Timberwolves and their place among the league’s best, this is the kind of matchup that can sharpen the debate fast. Minnesota gets two chances during the regular season to prove it belongs in that championship tier, and this first meeting arrives on one of the NBA’s marquee holiday slates.
The Wolves already know their schedule is packed with tests. They open the season on the road against the Miami Heat in the second day of the NBA season, and they also draw the Thunder on Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas Day. Add in a primetime date with New York, and the early part of Minnesota’s season is loaded with big-stage opportunities.
The Knicks bring a tough defensive look that could make life uncomfortable for Minnesota’s new group. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are described as arguably the league’s best perimeter defensive duo, which could create problems for LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards. Jalen Brunson is another major challenge, and even with Jaden McDaniels at the point of attack, that’s not a simple assignment.
Minnesota’s bold trade for LaMelo Ball was made to fix the point guard spot, but it also leaves the Wolves thin in the frontcourt. New York does not have elite size there outside of Karl-Anthony Towns, but the source still makes clear there are plenty of ways for the Knicks to bother Minnesota.
It’s only one game in January, and no one is calling it a final verdict. Still, matchups like this are exactly why the regular season matters. Against the defending champs, on MLK Day, with the spotlight on, the Timberwolves will have a real chance to show whether they’re ready for the next step.
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The wrinkle is that the first meeting on Oct. 31 will not be nationally televised, a decision that is likely to stir the usual debate about how the NBA chooses to showcase its most marketable young teams. From a basketball standpoint, it is the kind of game that can tell you something real about both sides, especially with Minnesota trying to blend its new pieces and San Antonio continuing to build around Wembanyama. Even before the games tip off, it already feels like one of those matchups the league may end up wishing it had put in a bigger spotlight. [Read more 🡒]