Minnesota Timberwolves playoff schedule 2023: Every Timberwolves playoff game (Updated)

The Minnesota Timberwolves have finished the 2022-23 NBA season as the eighth-seeded team in the NBA Western Conference. That’s quite a finale, as the Timberwolves had been fighting to remain relevant in terms of the NBA Playoffs. While the Timberwolves did not avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament, the team’s three-game winning streak after the disappointing loss to the Portland Trail Blazers was the best finish possible for the team without outside help.

And no help came after the San Antonio Spurs upset the Los Angeles Clippers. In the end, it was up to the Minnesota Timberwolves to win their final three games of the season, a feat that became more and more complicated with events that the team experienced in the final game of the season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are not at full strength, a situation that could come back to bite the team in the upcoming NBA Play-In Tournament. But the Timberwolves did manage to leapfrog the red-hot New Orleans Pelicans and claim the eighth seed in the last game of the 2022-23 NBA season. As a result, the Timberwolves end up with a win one of two games in the NBA Play-In Tournament:

While it may not have been the way the Minnesota Timberwolves front office planned the season, the fact is that this team did compete hard in the face of adversity. Now, what does it all mean in terms of the NBA Play-In Tournament and the NBA Playoffs?

Minnesota Timberwolves playoff schedule 2023

Tuesday, April 11, 8:00 pm CT at Los Angeles Lakers

Friday, April 14, 8:30 pm CT, vs winner of OKC Thunder vs. NOR Pelicans

The Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA Western Conference 8th seed) are all too familiar with many of the players currently competing for the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA Western Conference 7th seed). The current schedule for the NBA Play-In Tournament is found on this NBA website (click the link here) and illustrates the various scenarios and contests that face the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves and Lakers have competed three times this season. While the Timberwolves have been uncannily consistent in their ability to put up 111 points, the Lakers have found a way to bolster their offensive output by 20 points in their latest win, their only victory in three attempts against the Timberwolves.

Oct 28:  Los Angeles Lakers at Minnesota Timberwolves – Timberwolves win 111-102
Mar 3: Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers – Timberwolves win 110 – 102
Mar 31: Los Angeles Lakers at Minnesota Timberwolves – Lakers win 123-111

The two factors that dramatically improved for the Lakers in their lone win were the fact that they were able to place both Anthony Davis and LeBron James on the basketball court together, and they combined for a potent 56-point offensive effort, as well as the late season emergence of shooting guard Austin Reaves, whose youthful energy has been a vital spark to the Lakers roster.

The red-hot Los Angeles Lakers have won nine of their last 11 games, and 18 of their last 26 games since the NBA Trade Deadline. They now welcome the tepid Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that has lost backup center Naz Reid and small forward Jaden McDaniels to injuries, and must somehow regroup after point forward Kyle Anderson clashed with center Rudy Gobert in a heated confrontation that ended with Gobert throwing a punch at Anderson.

The Minnesota Timberwolves seem to flourish against the odds this year, and they have certainly done their best to stack the odds against them as they enter the NBA Play-In Tournament. If the Timberwolves defeat the Lakers, they will advance to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Playoffs.

UPDATED with Game 1 results

Having lost to the Lakers, the Timberwolves will have a chance to face the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder versus the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 3 of the NBA Play-In Tournament. If they win that second game, they will advance to the NBA Playoffs to face the Denver Nuggets.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will host Game 3 at Target Center and will compete for a chance to advance and take on the top-seeded team in NBA Western  Conference. The Timberwolves enjoyed a 3-1 advantage in regular season matchups against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and a 2-1 advantage over the New Orleans Pelicans in the regular season. It was that final game against the Pelicans that triggered so much passion in the Timberwolves.

At halftime, the Pelicans led the Thunder by a score of 63-57. But that was not how that one ended . . .

Final Score

The Timberwolves should match up rather well against the Thunder. Rudy Gobert has played in three of the games against the Thunder and has averaged 23 MPG, 14.7 PPG, 11.7 RPG, and 0.7 BPG.  Because he did not compete against the Lakers, look for him to be fresh and handle the load as the Timberwolves look to get back on their winning ways.

Friday, April 14, 8:30 pm CT, vs Oklahoma City Thunder

One more shot to win one game to get into the NBA Playoffs. If the Timberwolves win Game 3 of the NBA Play-In Tournament, their best-of-seven series against the Denver Nuggets is already scheduled as follows:

Let’s hope the Minnesota Timberwolves can pull one more win off.