Game Preview #64 – Timberwolves at Hornets

The Wolves roll into Charlotte for the second night of a back-to-back. Can Minnesota avoid overconfidence and notch a critical win as they look to rise up the Western Conference standings?

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Charlotte Hornets
Date: March 5th, 2025
Time: 6:00 PM CST
Location: Spectrum Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network North
Radio Coverage: Wolves App/iHeart Radio

Timberwolves vs. Hornets: No Excuses, Just Handle Your Business

The Wolves find themselves in the second night of a back-to-back, heading into Charlotte after what hopefully was a straightforward win over a shorthanded Sixers squad on Tuesday night. I have a flight to catch during the time I’d normally be writing this preview, so I’m turning in my home work early, before the Sixers game even tips off. If the Wolves didn’t take care of business against an Embiid and Maxey-less Philly, well, then we’ve got bigger problems.

Tonight’s opponent, the Charlotte Hornets, are bad. Not just “rebuilding team” bad. Truly unwatchable, actively tanking, “how did we get here?” bad. They’ve lost seven straight and 18 of their last 21 games. I don’t even know what they’re trying to accomplish this season. It’s like if a team was specifically engineered in a lab to win 21 games, secure a top-three lottery pick, and ruin your Wednesday night parlay by randomly beating a contender for no reason in early March.

And that’s what scares me about this game if I’m a Wolves fan.

A Classic Wolves Trap Game?

Let’s be real. The Wolves have played up to the best teams in the league—they’ve beaten the Lakers, Nuggets, and Thunder and took the Celtics and Grizzlies down to the wire. But they’ve also managed to play down to some truly horrific teams and dropped games that should’ve been free wins.

Remember the Wizards game?

The Blazers losses?

The time Toronto looked like 2019 Kawhi-era Toronto?

The recipe for disaster here is simple:

• Come out flat.
• Give Charlotte confidence.
• Let them hang around for three quarters.
• Try to flip the switch in the fourth, only to find the lightbulb isn’t working.

And suddenly, you’re waking up Thursday morning wondering how Miles Bridges just put up 23 and 12 on you while LaMelo hits a dagger three in transition.

The Wolves cannot let that happen. They’ve dropped too many winnable games already and need every single win to avoid the Western Conference play-in nightmare.

Keys to the Game

1. Punch Them in the Mouth Early

This should be a first-quarter knockout.

Charlotte has zero rim protection and one true offensive weapon in LaMelo Ball. If the Wolves play high-energy defense and get out in transition, this game could be over before halftime.

Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Jaylen Clark need to be all over LaMelo from the jump. Make him uncomfortable, force bad shots, and let the rest of Charlotte’s roster prove they can beat you. Spoiler: they can’t.

And offensively? Get the ball moving, get easy buckets inside, and build a lead early.

2. Keep the Ball Moving

When the Wolves are at their best, they move the ball and play unselfish basketball. When they’re at their worst, it’s a lot of isolation, forced shots, and hero ball.

Anthony Edwards can score 40 on anyone, but that doesn’t mean he needs to take 40 shots and impersonate Steph Curry against Seth Curry. If the Hornets collapse on him, he needs to trust his teammates, make the right pass, and keep the offense flowing.

Donte DiVincenzo should be feasting on wide-open looks. Julius Randle should be getting easy buckets in the post. Naz Reid should be torching whichever Hornets big man attempts to guard him.

Just don’t overcomplicate it.

3. Don’t Let LaMelo Go Off

LaMelo is the only reason the Hornets even sell tickets at this point. He’s averaging 26.1 PPG, and while his efficiency can be all over the place, when he gets hot, he can single-handedly keep Charlotte in games.

The Wolves have a stable of defenders to throw at him. McDaniels, Alexander-Walker, Clark, and even Edwards should be hounding him from the opening tip.

4. Big Games from Ant and Randle

Let’s be real—Anthony Edwards vs. LaMelo Ball debate was settled a long time ago. One guy is a superstar, the other is a YouTube mixtape legend who hasn’t played a meaningful game in three years.

But Ant still needs to go out there and remove all doubt.

A high-efficiency, 30-point night from him should be all it takes to put this game away.

As for Julius Randle, he’s been much better about not forcing bad shots and playing within the offense. That needs to continue. The Hornets can’t handle his physicality in the paint, so he needs to pick his spots, attack when needed, and keep the ball moving.

And for the love of God, please don’t take 10 threes.

Final Thoughts: No Excuses. Just Win.

This is a must-win game. Period.

The Wolves absolutely cannot afford to lose this one. Not after what happened in Utah. Not with the standings this tight. Not with a real chance to go on a run and get to the 6-seed.

The Hornets are already on vacation mode. They’re counting the days until the draft lottery.

Minnesota needs to show up, handle business, and get out of Charlotte with a win.

No playing down to competition. No letting LaMelo cook. No second-half collapses. Just get it done.

Because if we wake up Thursday morning to another “Wolves lose to terrible team” headline, I don’t even know what I’ll do anymore.

Let’s hope we don’t have to find out.