The Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves in a precarious position after losing two consecutive games. They have the opportunity to get payback, as they are playing against the New Orleans Pelicans again after losing to them on Wednesday.
This is a big game for the Timberwolves, as they need to get back on track if they want an automatic berth in the Playoffs with the sixth seed.
It has not been a week since the eight-game winning streak, but the Timberwolves have not looked like themselves in the past two games. They have the talent to overwhelm their opponents, but it has been a testy couple of games.
With this rematch against the Pelicans, the Timberwolves can re-establish themselves as one of the league's hottest teams again. They will have to endure a tough test because a motivated Zion Williamson is a challenging matchup.
back to work. pic.twitter.com/7yhwfxtm8G
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 20, 2025
Related: The Timberwolves Suffer A Disappointing Loss To The Pelicans
The Timberwolves Must Be Locked In
In the past two games against Indiana and New Orleans, the Timberwolves do not look like an energetic bunch. That should not be the case because if they play with energy and pace, they are a much better team than most people see.
Coach Chris Finch wants to see the team play with ball movement and pace, which could confuse the defense. Everyone knows Anthony Edwards can take over a game, but having the rest of the team play well will also be a challenge for opponents.
Defensively, Minnesota's players must play with more active energy. They are at their best when they are hustling for loose balls and battling for rebounds.
Zion will be a handful, but they have the players who can defend him like Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle. It will be a challenging matchup, but stopping Williamson is the key to beating the Pelicans due to their depleted roster.
Zion is so damn good, man… legit top ~15 guy when he's healthy. Best shape he's been in since Duke too, quite possibly.
He's absolutely dominating the TWolves right now. They have zero hope of stopping him.
Just hope he's finally figuring it ALL out. What a fun player.
— TG (@TommyGunnNBA) March 20, 2025
Injury Report For Timberwolves vs Pelicans
The Timberwolves are coming into this game without any injuries. That has been the case for the past few games, but they should showcase that health by playing with good energy.
New Orleans does not have the luck Minnesota has now because they have an extensive injury report. Core players Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones, and Dejounte Murray are all out for the season. Brandon Boston is set to return in a few weeks, but he will be unavailable for this game.
This will be the final game of this homestand for Minnesota, as they head out to Indiana to play the Pacers again on Monday. It will be a good sign if they regain their momentum from the eight-game winning streak because they are aiming for the Playoffs.
Related: Anthony Edwards Facing Backlash After Assigning Blame in Pelicans Loss
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This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 8:08 PM.