Are the Timberwolves Going to the Playoffs?

The Minnesota Timberwolves wrapped up their regular season of basketball last Sunday (4/9). The ended the season with a big win over the New Orleans Pelicans. However, that win didn't come easy. Something you don't see often in the NBA or many sports leagues was that Rudy Gobert, of the Timberwolves, punched his own teammate (Kyle Anderson) in the shoulder during a timeout before the end of the second quarter. Obviously tensions were high during this game because the Timberwolves needed to win to secure a good spot for a playoff game. But, if Gobert punching his own teammate wasn't crazy enough, Jaden McDaniels (Timberwolves player, as well) punched a wall during halftime because he was upset at the game and ended up fracturing his hand. He is the Wolves best defender right now so this was a major loss for the post season since he will likely be out 4-6 weeks. 

So, will all that happening, are the Timberwolves going to the playoffs? Well, kind of, they currently have a play in game tonight (4/11) in Los Angeles against the Lakers. Whoever wins the game, will be the 7th ranked team heading into the playoffs. If the Wolves lose the game against the Lakers then they will play the winner of the 9th and 10th place game. That game is between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The winner of that new game will then be the 8th place team for the playoffs. So, currently the Wolves have two great opportunities to make the playoffs. The easiest and quickest way would be to beat the Lakers tonight at 9pm central time. If not, they aren't out of it quite yet and could still redeem themselves with another win. 

Hopefully the Timberwolves are ready to play tonight and there isn't going to be anything out of the blue that happens like it did on Sunday. Everyone should try to watch and support the Wolves tonight and cheer loud to help secure them a playoff spot for the 2023 NBA season! Go Wolf Pack!