Game Preview #68 – Timberwolves vs. Magic

The Timberwolves continue their winning ways, returning from Denver on a six-game heater. Can they remain focused and get the job done against a tired Magic squad to keep the streak alive?

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Orlando Magic
Date: March 14th, 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. Magic: The Streak Lives On, but No Time to Coast

The Minnesota Timberwolves are on fire.

Fresh off a six-game winning streak and a dominant wire-to-wire beatdown of the Denver Nuggets, the Wolves return home to Target Center on Friday night to take on the Orlando Magic.

Now, let’s be real here—this is the part of the schedule where good teams separate themselves from pretenders. The Wolves are rolling, they’re fully healthy, and they will be facing a team coming off a road game in New Orleans tonight.

This should be a win.

It needs to be a win.

And yet, if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the course of this season, it’s that the Wolves love to make things harder on themselves than they need to. We’ve seen this story before: dominate elite teams like Denver and OKC, then sleepwalk against inferior competition and let a team like Orlando hang around long enough to make things weird in the fourth quarter.

This is not the time to get complacent. The Wolves are still stuck in seventh place, fighting to break free from the play-in. Every game matters.

So what needs to happen for the Wolves to keep this streak rolling? Let’s break it down.

What We Learned from the Denver Beatdown

Let’s take a second to appreciate what we saw on Wednesday night:

• Rudy Gobert played an incredible defensive game. Jokic got his numbers, but he had to work for every single one of them.
• Julius Randle has fully bought in. No more ball-stopping, no more dribbling into oblivion. He played smart, moved the ball, and punished mismatches.
• Anthony Edwards was locked in defensively. He didn’t put up 40, but he impacted the game in every way possible.
• The bench is a weapon. Naz Reid, DiVincenzo, NAW and Jaylen Clark brought energy and intensity. The Nuggets had no answers.

The biggest takeaway? This Wolves team finally looks like a legitimate threat.

Which brings us to the Magic.

Keys to the Game vs. Orlando

1. Come Out Aggressive—Don’t Mess Around

Orlando is playing on the second night of a back-to-back. They’ll be tired, and if the Wolves come out guns blazing, they can effectively end this game by halftime.

This means:

• Attack the rim. Orlando doesn’t have the size to compete with Minnesota.
• Push the pace. Make them feel the effects of their travel schedule.
• Play with intensity from the tip. No need to let this become a fourth-quarter grind.

A good team steps on the gas and doesn’t let up. The Wolves need to be that team.

2. Lock Down Paolo Banchero

With Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner out, the Magic’s offense is basically:

1. Paolo Banchero doing everything.
2. Franz Wagner trying to help.
3. Cole Anthony chucking up 20-footers and praying.

This is where the Wolves’ defensive depth shines.

• McDaniels needs to make Banchero miserable if he wanders to the perimeter.
• Gobert and Randle need to body Banchero him up inside.
• Help defense needs to be sharp—Paolo is great at drawing extra defenders and kicking it out.

If Banchero struggles, Orlando has no chance.

3. Keep the Ball Moving

One of the biggest reasons the Wolves have turned things around? Ball movement.

• No more hero ball.
• Less isolation play from Edwards and Randle.
• More quick passes, drive-and-kicks, and unselfish decision-making.

The Wolves’ offense looks completely different than it did earlier in the year. When the ball moves, everyone gets better looks—especially from three.

We’ve seen Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley, and Naz Reid all thrive because of this shift. It has to continue against Orlando.

4. Hit Open Shots

The Wolves are one of the most dangerous teams in the league when they’re hitting threes.

• DiVincenzo has been automatic lately.
• McDaniels and Conley are finding their stroke.
• Naz Reid can light it up at any moment.

If the Wolves continue to shoot well from deep, Orlando has no chance of keeping up.

5. Continue to Ride Ant and Randle—But Within the Offense

Anthony Edwards doesn’t need to force 30 shots to dominate a game.

We saw it in Denver—he played smart, controlled basketball and let the game come to him. That’s what we need to see again against Orlando.

Same goes for Randle. When he plays within the flow of the offense, the Wolves are so much harder to guard.

• Attack mismatches.
• Get to the free-throw line.
• Kick out when the defense collapses.

That’s the formula.

Why This Game Matters More Than You Think

Right now, the Wolves are tied with Golden State, but the Warriors own the tiebreaker.

That means Minnesota has to finish with a better record if they want to escape the play-in.

The good news? The Wolves’ schedule is light and the next five games are all at Target Center.

✅ Orlando (on a back-to-back)

✅ Utah (struggling and lottery bound)

✅ Indiana (playoff team, but beatable)

✅ New Orleans (twice) (Pelicans are collapsing)

If the Wolves take care of business, they could easily be looking at a double-digit winning streak.

Meanwhile, Golden State has to run through the Kings, Knicks, Nuggets, and Bucks.

This is the opportunity to finally break free of the play-in.

Prediction: Do the Wolves Keep Rolling?

Orlando is tired.

Minnesota is locked in.

The Wolves are at home.

Everything about this game screams blowout.

But again—this is the Wolves. We’ve seen them turn easy wins into stressful, ugly fourth-quarter battles.

That being said, I think they’ve turned a corner.

Final Score: Wolves 118, Magic 102.

Edwards dominates. Randle feasts inside. The bench brings energy.

And the Wolves?

They keep the streak alive.