Game Preview #63 – Timberwolves vs. 76ers

The Wolves are finally back at Target Center after a tough four-game road trip. Can they capitalize on a depleted and tired Sixers team to continue their rise up the Western Conference standings?

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Date: March 4th, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM CST
Location: Target Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network North
Radio Coverage: Wolves App/iHeart Radio

Timberwolves vs. Sixers: No More Playing with Their Food

The Minnesota Timberwolves are finally back home after a four-game road trip, one that felt like it lasted about a month. But here they are, back at Target Center with a golden opportunity to right the ship against the Philadelphia 76ers—a team that’s currently spiraling down the Eastern Conference standings.

Look, I don’t need to tell Wolves fans how exhausting this season has been. One minute, they look like a team that could take down anyone, pulling off an epic comeback against OKC, sweeping Kevin Durant and the Suns into basketball oblivion, and locking down elite scorers like it’s 2004 Pistons cosplay. The next, they’re dropping a must-win game to Utah like it’s some sort of annual tradition.

But there’s no more room for that kind of inconsistency. With 20 games to go, the Wolves find themselves in a three-way tie with the Clippers and Warriors for the Western Conference’s No. 6 seed. And considering the NBA play-in tournament is essentially a real-life version of “Squid Game”, they need to do everything possible to avoid it.

So yes, this game against the Sixers? It’s a gift-wrapped W, just sitting there on a platter. No Joel Embiid. Second night of a back-to-back for Philly. And a Minnesota team that should be feeling good about themselves after handling business in Phoenix.

The only thing left to do? Not screw it up.

Keys to the Game

1. Capitalizing on the Size Advantage

Joel Embiid is done for the season, which means the Sixers are wildly undersized compared to what the Wolves can throw at them. Even without Rudy Gobert (who remains a game-time decision), Minnesota still has Naz Reid and Julius Randle—who looked solid in his return against Phoenix.

If Gobert plays, great. That makes life even harder for Philly. If not? Naz and Randle need to feast against a Sixers frontcourt that is basically running out whoever they found in the Wells Fargo Center parking lot.

Rebounding will be critical here. The Wolves got absolutely wrecked on the glass in Utah, and even in their win against Phoenix, they still gave up too many second-chance points. That can’t happen against a Sixers team that shouldn’t be able to compete in the paint.

2. Shutting Down Tyrese Maxey

Maxey is putting up 26.7 points per game and is the only guy on this Sixers team that can single-handedly win them the matchup.

The good news? The Wolves have the personnel to make his life miserable. Between Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Jaylen Clark, they have three elite perimeter defenders who can take turns pestering Maxey into rough shooting night.

If they can hold him in check and force the rest of Philly’s roster to beat them, this game should be over by the third quarter.

3. Team Basketball on Offense

Anthony Edwards was spectacular against Phoenix. Another 40-piece, another reminder that he can go nuclear at any moment. But the best part? He wasn’t just jacking up shots. He played within the flow of the offense, found open teammates, and set up Donte DiVincenzo for some absolutely backbreaking threes.

That’s the kind of balanced, selfless basketball the Wolves need to play against the Sixers.

Julius Randle also needs to resist his inner “Kobe fadeaway on three defenders” instincts and keep the ball moving. Yes, his bully-ball style has value, especially against smaller teams like Philly. But forcing bad shots early in the shot clock isn’t the way to go.

If the Wolves trust their ball movement, find open shooters, and attack the rim, this should be an easy win.

4. Focus and Hustle—No Playing with Their Food

This is the biggest concern with this team. They can’t assume Philly is just going to roll over.

We’ve seen this movie way too many times this season—Minnesota starts slow, lets an inferior team hang around, and suddenly it’s a dogfight in the final five minutes.

You can’t do that when you’re fighting for playoff seeding.

The Wolves need to come out aggressive, set the tone early, and kill Philly’s spirit by halftime. They can’t afford a lazy first quarter, a six-minute scoring drought in the second, or mindless turnovers that keep the Sixers in the game.

This should be one of the easiest games left on their schedule—as long as they treat it like one.

The Final Push Begins Now

With 20 games left, this is crunch time for Minnesota. They have the easiest remaining schedule of any Western Conference team, which means they have a golden opportunity to climb the standings and secure the No. 6 seed.

Look, nobody is saying the Wolves are title contenders at the moment. But if they can lock in a guaranteed seven-game series rather than playing for their lives in the play-in? They have a chance to make some real noise.

If the secure the 6th seed, they’d likely be staring at a first-round matchup against Denver, Memphis, Houston, or the Lakers.

• They’ve already shown they can hang with the Nuggets.
• Both games against the Grizzlies were two-point losses.
• They’ve taken Houston to the limit in all four games this season
• The Lakers might get all the calls, but Minnesota’s size and depth can cause them major problems.

They have more than a puncher’s chance in all four of those potential matchups. But first? Handle business against Philly.

No playing with their food. No messing around. Just go out, get the win, and keep the momentum rolling.

Let’s see if they’re up for the challenge.