Playing in the NBA is a gauntlet, and that is not a secret to anyone who regularly watches any team. There are no guaranteed wins in this league, especially in this day and age. The Minnesota Timberwolves know this fact as well as anyone.
The Wolves are still an elite defensive team capable of holding the majority of the league under 100 points on any given night, but it is their offense that has been their Achilles heel as of late. With a scoring attack that is still learning how to operate efficiently, it makes sense that Minnesota has opened themselves up to being in close games with even the teams close to the bottom of the standings.
If it seems like the Timberwolves have not been able to catch a break with their schedule lately, that is because they have truly been in the middle of a wildly difficult stretch. When Minnesota takes the floor against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, it will be their 15th game in a row against teams that held at least a .500 record at the time of the game.
Tonight marks 15 consecutive games vs. opponents with a .500 or better record -- MIN 9-5 during this stretch.
— Alan Horton (@WolvesRadio) January 2, 2025
The Timberwolves have played 15 straight teams .500 or better
With that fact in mind, it makes sense that the Wolves have had to scrape and claw for wins on some nights. Minnesota would probably love to have a breather against a Washington or a New Orleans, but they keep seeing the Oklahoma City's and Boston's on their schedule instead. That's a cruel life.
But despite these circumstances, the Timberwolves hold a 9-5 record over their last 14 against this type of competition, which all things considered is a very strong performance. Frankly, it would be understandable for a team to be under .500 during a run like this, but Minnesota has won most of its games all while still trying to figure themselves out and make their offense make sense.
To me, that is an indicator of a team that is clearly making progress and trending in the right direction. With this type of 14-game stretch, earning nine wins is nothing to laugh at. The Timberwolves' struggles prior to Thanksgiving that left them under .500 is the primary reason for their current record looking like it does, but they are certainly getting better if you look at how they have performed since then.