For the Minnesota Timberwolves, it’s Nuggets or nothin’

The Minnesota Timberwolves (0-1) must face the Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0) in Game 3 of the NBA Play-In Tournament. The loser of that single game ends their season, never making it to the NBA Playoffs. The winner goes on to face the NBA Western Conference top-seeded team, the Denver Nuggets.  Out of the frying pan, into the fire.

Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think? A little too ironic? Yeah, I really do think. The first year for the Minnesota Timberwolves to have pried the new President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly away from the Denver Nuggets to run the team, the Timberwolves must defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder for the right to play a best-of-seven series against the NBA Western Conference top-seeded team.

The Timberwolves have scraped and clawed to get to a point where the NBA Playoffs are even a possibility. Now, the Timberwolves must turn back the trend from the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament, when both ninth-seeded teams, the Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Pelicans, rode past their eighth-seeded opponents to earn their shots in the NBA Playoffs.

This year, the Hawks won Game 1 of the NBA Play-In Tournament as the eighth seed and have earned a berth in the NBA Playoffs as the seventh seed. The Pelicans entered as the ninth seed, and an unfortunate loss sent them home, denied the chance to compete in postseason play any further.

Game 3 NBA Play-In Tournament

The Minnesota Timberwolves have to defeat a young Oklahoma City Thunder team that has the taste of victory still in their mouths, and the confidence that comes with it. It was a Thunder team that trailed at halftime against the Pelicans but rallied with a strong third quarter to change that game’s entire trajectory.

That second-half rally hits a little close to home for the Timberwolves, as they came out red-hot against the Lakers, but their performance cooled a bit too quickly. Once the game went into overtime, you could almost feel the fatigue from the Timberwolves’ starting five.

The Timberwolves (42-41) have another shot at the NBA Playoffs, mind you. They must defeat the Thunder (41-42) at Target Center and must do so without the benefit of Jaden McDaniels or Naz Reid, two key contributors in the front court. The Timberwolves will get center Rudy Gobert back for this one, and that would have made plenty of difference against the Lakers. Let’s hope he jump-starts the Timberwolves in this one.

If the Timberwolves take their eye off the brass ring against the Thunder, even for a moment, they may be as upset with the outcome as the two eighth-seeded teams were a year ago. But if the Timberwolves can find a way to win, well, they get a shot to compete in the NBA Playoffs once more.

And anything can happen if they do.