Game Preview #70 – Timberwolves vs. Pacers

With an eight-game winning streak under their belts, the Wolves face the toughest test of their homestand when the Pacers roll into Target Center. Can Minnesota grind its way through the second night of a back-to-back to keep the streak alive?

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Indiana Pacers
Date: March 17th, 2025
Time: 6:00 PM CDT
Location: Target Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network North
Radio Coverage: Wolves App/iHeart Radio

Wolves Are Rolling, But Indiana Looms as a True Test

At this point, we might need to start calling March Timberwolves Month.

Minnesota has now won eight straight games, remains undefeated this month, and is playing its best basketball of the season at exactly the right time. The latest victory? A complete demolition of the Utah Jazz on Sunday night, a game that was essentially over before fans even finished their first beer.

The Wolves came out swinging, opened up a 19-point lead in the first quarter, and never let Utah even sniff a lead for the rest of the night. Sure, there was a brief moment of danger in the second quarter when Minnesota’s defense got a little too relaxed, allowing Utah to cut the lead down to four. But within minutes, the Wolves snapped out of it, turned up the defensive pressure, and stretched the lead back to 30 by the fourth quarter.

By the time the game clock hit single digits, Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert were chilling on the bench, getting some much-needed rest before the second night of a back-to-back against Indiana. And that’s the biggest win within the win.

Because now, as they take the floor against a battle-tested Pacers squad, Minnesota won’t have the usual back-to-back fatigue excuse to fall back on. They should be fresh. They should be ready. They should be locked in.

And they’ll need to be—because unlike Utah, Indiana isn’t about to roll over.

Pacers Preview: The Wolves’ Biggest Test of the Homestand

The Pacers enter Tuesday’s showdown at Target Center fighting for home-court advantage in the East.

• They’re currently the 5-seed, but only half a game behind Milwaukee for the 4-seed.
• That means every game matters for them just as much as it does for Minnesota.
• The Wolves might be streaking, but Indiana won’t just be a speed bump.

However, the Wolves caught a massive break in the injury department.

• Pascal Siakam (Indiana’s leading scorer) is out.
• Tyrese Haliburton is a game-time decision.
• Myles Turner, Aaron Nesmith, and Johnny Furphy are all questionable.

That’s a whole lot of size and firepower potentially missing for the Pacers. Meanwhile, the Wolves? Fully healthy.

Mike Conley is technically a game-time decision, but let’s be real—he sat out against Utah so he’d be ready for this one. This is the exact type of game where a steady veteran presence running the offense will be critical, especially against a Pacers team that lives in transition and plays at the second-fastest pace in the league.

Simply put? This is a game the Wolves need to win.

Keys to the Game for Minnesota

1. Attack the Paint & Exploit Indiana’s Size Disadvantage

With Siakam out and Myles Turner possibly missing, the Wolves need to bully Indiana inside.

• Julius Randle should feast. This is prime-time bully ball territory for him.
• Rudy Gobert needs to dominate the boards. If the Wolves clean up the glass, it’ll be tough for Indiana to keep up.
• Naz Reid could be a game-changer. If Turner sits, who on Indiana is stopping him from getting whatever he wants?

The Wolves have been picked up their intensity on the glass during this win streak. That needs to continue. Minnesota should own the boards and get plenty of second-chance points.

2. Slow Down (or Shut Down) Tyrese Haliburton

If Haliburton plays, the Wolves’ swarming perimeter defense needs to make his life miserable.

• Expect Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Jaylen Clark to take turns harassing him.
• The key is taking away his passing lanes—Haliburton lives off creating open looks for his teammates.

Without Siakam, the Pacers’ entire offense will revolve around Haliburton. If the Wolves shut him down, Indiana simply doesn’t have enough firepower to keep up.

3. Keep the Ball Moving & Avoid ISO Hero Ball

This is the biggest evolution of the Wolves this season.

Early in the year, the offense would grind to a halt—tons of iso-heavy possessions, bad shot selection, and late-shot-clock heaves.

Now?

• Ball movement is crisp.
• Players are cutting more.
• Donte DiVincenzo’s presence has opened up spacing.
• Jaden McDaniels has figured out how to make himself useful in the dunker’s spot.

This fluid, unselfish style has completely eliminated the long scoring droughts that haunted this team earlier in the season.

If they stay true to that style tonight, they’ll find plenty of good shots against an Indiana team that struggles defensively.

4. Let Ant Cook

Anthony Edwards thrives in big moments.

We all remember the epic block he had against Indiana last year—the one where he soared into another dimension, hit his head on the backboard, and saved the game in the final seconds.

Ant knows how to put on a show when the lights are bright, and tonight, he’s got a prime opportunity to remind everyone why he’s a future MVP.

Expect him to:

• Attack the rim early. Indiana doesn’t have the rim protection to stop him.
• Hunt mismatches. If Turner is out, it’s open season in the paint.
• Go at Haliburton. These two are Olympic teammates—Ant would love to outshine him on a national stage.

And if Indiana throws too much defensive attention at him?

Fine. Kick it out. Let his teammates go to work. Either way, this game is set up for Ant to dominate.

What’s at Stake?

This game is a massive swing game for the Wolves.

• Win, and they’re at nine straight wins with a real shot at 11 before they head out on the road to face Indiana again.
• Lose, and the momentum takes a hit, which is the last thing you want when you’re trying to escape the play-in.

Looking beyond tonight, the schedule actually sets up beautifully for Minnesota. And as crazy as it sounds, Minnesota could still catch the Lakers and Grizzlies in the standings.

• The Lakers have a brutal end to the season: Denver, Milwaukee, Indiana, Memphis, Houston x2, and OKC x2.
• Memphis plays OKC, Boston, Golden State, Denver, the Lakers, and a critical game against the Wolves.
• Minnesota is only 2.5 games back of the Lakers, 3.5 behind Memphis.

This thing is far from over.

The Wolves control their own destiny—they just have to keep stacking wins.

Final Thoughts

This is a must-win game.

The Wolves are:

✔️ Fully healthy

✔️ At home

✔️ Facing a Pacers team missing their best scorer

✔️ Playing the best basketball of their season

The opportunity is right in front of them.

They’ve already proven they can beat up on bad teams—now it’s time to show they can handle a legit playoff contender.

Go get it. Make it nine straight. Keep climbing.