Game Preview #51 – Timberwolves vs. Bulls

After two close losses, the Wolves look to bounce back and notch a win against the Chicago Bulls. Can Minnesota pounce early and save some energy for the looming matchup with the Rockets?

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Chicago Bulls
Date: February 5th, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM CST
Location: Target Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network North
Radio Coverage: KFAN FM/Wolves App/iHeart Radio

Wolves vs. Bulls: Time to Stop Messing Around and Get Back on Track

So this five-game homestand, which was supposed to be a blessing, has basically turned into the equivalent of opening a birthday present and finding a pack of tube socks.

The Wolves were gifted five straight home games, four of which were against bottom-tier teams, and instead of padding the win column, they’ve tripped over their own feet and started 0-2. First, they lost to a Washington team that was on a 16-game losing streak. Then they fell to Sacramento, a team that literally sent De’Aaron Fox packing the day before and had Zach LaVine still waiting at baggage claim.

That leaves Minnesota in the worst possible position: zero margin for error, two games left in a back-to-back, and the very real possibility of going 2-3 on what was supposed to be their runway to home-court advantage in the playoffs.

Now, Chicago comes into town, and this should be an easy layup—which, of course, means we all have reason to be terrified.

The Wolves Need to Put the Bulls Away Early

If you’re a Wolves fan, you already know how this script plays out:

• The Wolves come out sluggish, get down 10-15 points early.
• The starters burn way too much energy digging themselves out of a hole.
• The game is still up for grabs in the fourth quarter.
• The Bulls, despite trying to actively lose games at this point, get one final push from Coby White, because of course he’s dropping 30.
• The Wolves either pull off a close win or drop another maddeningly stupid game.

They can’t let this happen.

Chicago is on the second night of a back-to-back. They just waved the white flag on the season by shipping LaVine to Sacramento. This is a team that wants to lose games.

The Wolves need to come out in the first quarter, break their spirit, and take all the drama out of this one. The goal should be a 20-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, allowing Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert, and Anthony Edwards to get some much-needed rest before Thursday’s showdown with Houston.

This is where coaching and leadership come into play. Chris Finch has to have this team ready to go from the opening tip. Edwards needs to bring that young MJ energy and attack Chicago early. The bigs need to dominate the glass and erase any second-chance opportunities. The defense, which has been inconsistent at best these past two games, needs to close out on shooters and not let Chicago hang around.

Bottom line: If the Wolves let this become a 48-minute game, they’re doing this all wrong.

Why This Game Affects Thursday’s Houston Matchup

If the Wolves goof around and let this game go down to the wire, they’re almost guaranteeing themselves a loss on Thursday.

Houston is good. They’re sitting ahead of Minnesota in the standings, and both of their matchups this season have been absolute wars. Minnesota needs every ounce of energy to compete with them, and playing 40+ high-intensity minutes against a bad Bulls team the night before would be a disaster.

Best-case scenario? The Wolves blow Chicago out early, keep their key guys fresh, and have a real shot at beating Houston to close the gap in the Western Conference standings.

Worst-case scenario? They sleepwalk through the first half, let the Bulls hang around, burn all their energy trying to salvage the game, and walk into Thursday night’s matchup already exhausted.

With every game mattering in the West, this is one of those moments where the Wolves have to act like a real contender. Contenders don’t mess around with teams like Chicago. They take care of business, get the win, and move on.

The Path Forward: No More Excuses

To be fair, the Wolves have had some awful luck this past week.

• The Washington loss? Yeah, it sucked, but they were missing their top four scorers.
• The Sacramento loss? That one’s harder to excuse. Edwards wasn’t himself, the defense was bad, and the refs definitely missed a crucial kick-ball call. But still, good teams find a way to win that game.

The issue now is the clock is ticking. The Wolves have no time for a pity party.

They’re still sitting in the play-in danger zone at the No. 7 seed, but the Luka-to-the-Lakers trade may have just blown up Dallas and L.A.’s chances of making a serious push. That means the Wolves have a golden opportunity to move up the standings.

• The Lakers are within reach.
• The Clippers are within reach.
• Denver is within reach.

But if Minnesota keeps screwing around and letting winnable games slip through their fingers, they’ll be the team stuck playing a winner-take-all game in April. And we all know how that’s gone for them in recent history.

Take care of business against Chicago.

Come out fresh and ready for Houston.

Start acting like a playoff team.

That’s the assignment. Let’s see if the Wolves are up to it.