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Don’t look now, but the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have been largely written off for the better part of this season, are looking like a team that could once again pose real playoff problems a year after making their Western Conference finals run.
With a 118-111 win over the Magic on Friday, the Wolves have now won seven straight games as they set their sights on a top-six playoff seed. With 14 games remaining, Minnesota currently owns the No. 7 seed but is just one game back of the No. 6 Warriors.
The Warriors do own the tiebreaker, however, so that lead is effectively two games.
Golden State is also one of the hottest teams in the league, but Minnesota is keeping it from creating any distance for that last guaranteed playoff spot by shooting the leather off the ball. During this seven-game win streak, the Wolves are pacing the league with over 18 made 3-pointers per game at better than a 42% clip (also tops in the league).
Anthony Edwards has been making 3s all season, and he has continued to do so at better than 40% on almost 10 attempts per game during the streak, but it’s the support staff that has really caught fire. Check out these 3-point numbers in March:
Conley was basically categorized as washed six weeks ago. DiVincenzo, who was seen by many as the key to the Karl-Anthony Towns trade working because of the spacing he could help replicate, couldn’t make a thing to start the season but has now cashed at least three 3s in 11 of his last 13 games and multiple 3s in all 13. He’s averaging over four per game in March, and that’s the kind of weaponry he was supposed to provide all along. It makes Minnesota an entirely different team.
And we still haven’t gotten to Julius Randle, who, if you’re sensing a theme here, was also derided for his play for much of the season. But lookie here … the Wolves have won 12 consecutive games with Randle in the lineup. He’s 16 for his last 25 from the field and is shooting well over 50% during this streak.
More importantly, Randle is connecting the Wolves. He’s always been a better passer than his isolation-scorer reputation has suggested, and he’s really doing damage getting into the paint and facilitating to shooters at over six assists per night in March.
It’s true, Minnesota’s schedule has been quite soft during this run with wins over Phoenix, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Miami, San Antonio and now Orlando. But mixed in there is a 20-point win over the Nuggets, whom the Wolves eliminated from last year’s playoffs and have gone 3-0 against this season.
Minnesota also took two out of three against Oklahoma City last month. This is a team that can really bottle you up defensively; Rudy Gobert is still a nightmare to finish over for opposing guards, and we know about the first line of defense with Minnesota’s wings. That kind of defense with a 1A scorer like Edwards is going to equal a playoff problem for someone.
If the offense continues like this around Edwards, the Warriors are going to have to remain smoking hot to fend off the Wolves down the stretch, and even if they have to play their way into the No. 7 seed, as of Saturday that would mean a first-round matchup with the Nuggets, who, again, we know they can handle. Indeed, things are looking up for Minnesota.
