It’s go time for the Timberwolves.
Minnesota’s home game Friday against Dallas is the first of just 26 between the All-Star break and the end of the regular season.
“Full out sprint,” Wolves forward Julius Randle said last week.
There’s no reason to reserve energy, not in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Minnesota went into the All-Star break in sixth place, exactly where it finished a year ago. And while the Wolves proved they can still make a playoff run from such a position, it’s not where they want to be two months from now.
The Timberwolves were only 1 1/2 games clear of Phoenix in the race to avoid the play-in tournament ahead of Thursday’s NBA slate to open the second half, but they also are just 1 1/2 games behind the banged-up Nuggets for the No. 3 seed.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch noted some games count as “double” the rest of the way as Minnesota competes against neighbors in the standings with potential tiebreakers at stake.
The race is on. And the Wolves have long been closers during the Finch and Anthony Edwards era. They tend to hit their stride when results mean the most.
“I guess you could say that just us knowing, like, where we want to be at the end of the season, holding the trophy, so just having to play the right way and trusting each other and doing the right stuff just to get there,” forward Jaden McDaniels said. “We’re one of them teams.”
Minnesota again flashed its potential prior to the break, blowing out consecutive short-handed opponents. When the Wolves defend at a high level and convert stops into transition opportunities going the other way, they’re tough to beat.
Maintaining that level of play has always been the issue for this group, which has long possessed a high ceiling and a low floor. The former is why Finch noted Minnesota isn’t afraid to go anywhere and play anyone in the postseason. But the Wolves would, ideally, like to set themselves up with the cleanest runway ahead of the playoff takeoff.
That will require consistency, particularly on the defensive end. Finch noted the need for better shell principles and rim protection, particularly when Rudy Gobert is out of the contest. Edwards has to set a consistent example with his defensive ball pressure and awareness.
“It’s kind of all about the details right now,” Finch said. “It’s all about consistency. Nothing else matters right now. No shots, minutes, role acceptance, all that stuff. … You got to settle in, and winning has to be first and foremost all the time, rather than anything else.”
Because the race is officially on.
“Every game is going to mean something, and it’s fun,” Randle said. “This is the part of the year that’s fun because it’s competitive and every game means something. You gotta really be locked in and focused.”
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