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5 things the Timberwolves need to do to get the No. 3 seed

By Cooper Langby

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 25 Karl-Anthony Towns #32 Jeff Teague #0 Jimmy Butler #23 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 25 Karl-Anthony Towns #32 Jeff Teague #0 Jimmy Butler #23 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 25 Karl-Anthony Towns #32 Jeff Teague #0 Jimmy Butler #23 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves look on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 25, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 25 Karl-Anthony Towns #32 Jeff Teague #0 Jimmy Butler #23 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves look on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 25, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Minnesota Timberwolves are sitting fourth in a tight top-ten in the Western Conference. Can they close the season strong and land the No. 3 spot in the West come playoff time?

#1 – Keep Winning at Home

At the conclusion of last season, I wrote an article detailing the importance of the Timberwolves’ winning games at home, after their sub-par 20-21 record at Target Center during the 2016-17 season.

This year, however, it seems as though the Timberwolves are understanding the necessity of winning home games. With an impressive 24-7 home record heading into the All-Star break, The Wolves are already guaranteed an above-.500 home record come the end of season. This is important when you consider that no Western Conference team that made the playoffs last season had less than a .500 home record.

While the Wolves have done a great job holding down Target Center in Minneapolis so far this season, including 13 straight before last week’s loss to Houston, there’s still plenty of home games to win before the season is out.

Of the Wolves’ 11 remaining home games, four take place in April, including three straight to wrap up the season. With a lot of games on the road yet to come before the tail end of the season, the Timberwolves, who currently posses a 12-18 road record, need to realize that winning these home games could be the difference between finishing top-four, or even top-eight, in the Western Conference, or missing out on the playoffs for a 14th consecutive year.

Entering March, the Wolves’ home games start with Boston and Golden State, with Houston returning to Minneapolis a week later. These won’t be easy games to win, but if the Timberwolves want to assert themselves as a dominant team in the West and climb their way up the standings, they’ll have to have a good go of it.

The last six home games of the season all feature teams that currently sit outside the top eight, except for Denver in the season finale. These games should be seen as must-win for the Wolves to boost their way up the standings.

With a Western Conference that currently has five games deciding the No. 3 through 10 seeds, those six home games may be all the difference.

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