Timberwolves next opponent gave team control of own destiny
By Bret Stuter
If the Minnesota Timberwolves lose their final two games:
The Minnesota Timberwolves will finish with a record of 40-42. On the face of it, you might think that the Timberwolves would be done, with little to no hope of competing in the NBA Western Conference Play-In Tournament, but that is not correct.
The Timberwolves would still own tiebreakers with both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks, both teams currently cannot finish any better than 40-42. And so, the Timberwolves cannot finish any worse than the ninth seed, which ensures that they will compete in at least one Play-In Tournament game. As the ninth-seeded team, the Timberwolves must defeat the tenth-seeded team, and then play and defeat the loser of the seventh versus the eighth-seeded team contest.
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If the Minnesota Timberwolves split their final two games:
The Minnesota Timberwolves will finish with a record of 41-41. But here is where it gets interesting. If the Timberwolves defeat the San Antonio Spurs, but then lose to the New Orleans Pelicans, then the Timberwolves will remain the ninth-seeded team in the NBA Western Conference. But if the Timberwolves lose to the Spurs but defeat the Pelicans, then another scenario kicks in.
If both the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans lose both of their final two games of the 2022-23 NBA season, then the Minnesota Timberwolves, by virtue of tiebreakers over both the Lakers and Pelicans, would end up the seventh-seeded team in the NBA Western Conference. That means that the Timberwolves would have two chances to compete for an NBA Playoff berth by virtue of the Play-In Tournament. If the Timberwolves defeat the eighth-seeded team, they are in.
If the Timberwolves lose their Play-In game, then the Timberwolves need to suit up and face the winner of the ninth vs. tenth team contest.