Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 games to look forward to on 2021-22 schedule
By Charles Post
We’re less than two weeks away from the start of preseason basketball. Let’s look ahead to the most intriguing games the Minnesota Timberwolves 2021-22 schedule, including a challenging road trip to California in November and must-see matchups against the NBA’s best big men.
We’ve already looked at the most critical stretches on a more macro level, but let’s drill down into the most intriguing individual matchups.
Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 games to look forward to on 2021-22 schedule
The Timberwolves’ season opens on Wednesday, Oct. 20 against the Houston Rockets, followed by two more home games, both versus the New Orleans Pelicans. Then, things get a bit more difficult.
No. 1: Denver Nuggets at Timberwolves – October 30
Just three days after facing the defending champion Bucks on the road and a trio of home games to start the season, Minnesota returns home to face reigning Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
Karl-Anthony Towns will look to match Jokic while the Timberwolves hope to pull off an upset after going 0-3 against Denver a year ago.
It’s always exciting to watch two elite big men go head to head, and Towns has more than held his own against Jokic. While the Nuggets have gone 12-6 when both centers played, Towns has averaged more points (+7.3) and rebounds (+2.6) per game. In their lone matchup in 2020-21, however, Jokic outdueled Towns with 31 points and 14 rebounds in a 114-103 Nuggets win.
With this an early-season game with both teams undoubtedly adjusting their rotations, Minnesota will have a shot at getting a notable victory, especially since Jamal Murray will still be sidelined due to injury.
Additionally, throw in the fact that it’s the first division matchup of the season and the start of something of a rivalry following the Wolves’ Game No. 82 win back in 2018 that knocked the Nuggets out of the playoff race, and there are plenty of reasons for this to be a game to keep an eye on.