In a Western Conference race that’s tighter than ever, the Minnesota Timberwolves are walking a razor’s edge. As things stand, they’re sitting at 32-21-good for sixth in the West-but with just 29 games left, there’s not much breathing room.
They’re only a game and a half back from the third-place Denver Nuggets, but also just half a game ahead of the Phoenix Suns in seventh. And with Phoenix already owning the tiebreaker, Minnesota’s margin for error is paper thin.
The stakes are clear: fall to seventh and you’re looking at the Play-In Tournament, a dangerous proposition for any playoff hopeful. That’s why losses like the one they just suffered against the New Orleans Pelicans sting even more.
Minnesota had an 18-point lead midway through the third quarter, and still let it slip away. The Pelicans, who came into the night with a 13-40 record, outscored the Wolves 60-38 the rest of the way.
That’s not just a missed opportunity-it’s a gut punch.
And the timing couldn’t be worse. The West is a logjam from seeds three through seven, and every win-or loss-can shift the standings dramatically.
Had the Wolves closed out that game against New Orleans, they’d be sitting in fourth right now. Instead, they’re sixth, hanging onto a top-six spot by a thread.
That’s not the kind of swing you want to see when the postseason is inching closer by the day.
Anthony Edwards, who’s quickly become the emotional pulse of this team, didn’t sugarcoat it. “Yeah, this one hurt,” he said postgame.
“But we can’t dwell on it too bad. Game over.
Got another game coming up.” It’s the right mindset, but the Wolves know they can’t afford many more of these slip-ups.
Especially considering this isn’t an isolated incident. Just a few days earlier, Minnesota dropped a game to a struggling Memphis Grizzlies squad that had lost six straight and came in ten games under .500. That’s two losses in the last week to teams well below the playoff line.
The silver lining? The next stretch of Minnesota’s schedule offers a real chance to stack wins.
Six of their next seven opponents currently have losing records. These are the games that good teams take care of.
And if the Wolves want to avoid the Play-In and secure a solid playoff seed, they’ll need to treat every one of these matchups like it’s April.
Because once this soft patch ends, things get real. According to Tankathon, the Timberwolves have the sixth-toughest remaining schedule in the league, with their final 29 games coming against teams with a combined .517 winning percentage. That’s a grind, and it makes this upcoming stretch even more critical.
The next test comes Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers. There’s hope that Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips will be available to suit up, giving Minnesota a bit more depth as they try to steady the ship.
Bottom line: the Timberwolves are still in a strong position, but the path forward is narrow. They’ve shown they can hang with the best in the West-but to stay there, they’ll need to clean up the kind of losses that have haunted them lately.
The margin for error is gone. It’s time to lock in.