For the second year in a row, the Minnesota Timberwolves have qualified for the NBA playoffs via the play-in tournament. On the back of star player Karl-Anthony Towns, the Wolves defeated Oklahoma City 120-95. Towns had 28 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in Friday night’s win.
KAT showed out as the Timberwolves secured the West's #8 seed ?
— NBA (@NBA) April 15, 2023
28 PTS
11 REB
3 AST
3 BLK
Minnesota will face Denver in Round 1 ?
?: Game 1 | Sunday | 10:30pm/et | TNT pic.twitter.com/WNrDhRbTFn
Minnesota’s size proved too much for the Thunder as they outscored their opponents by a 58-30 margin in the paint. Rudy Gobert returned from suspension for this game to put up 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Anthony Edwards scored 19 after a miserable outing against the Lakers.
On the other hand, Oklahoma City had a terrible night shooting 36% from the field. They surrendered a double-digit lead in the second quarter and were never able to make a recovery.
The Timberwolves earned the eighth seed in the Western Conference with the win. They are set to play the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
Timberwolves Team OutlookAll Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Minnesota will play game one against the Nuggets on Sunday, April 16th. The season series between these two were split two a piece – with both teams winning their respective home games.
Karl-Anthony Towns will be the focal point for the team moving forward and has returned to his best form. The 27-year-old has shot 53% or better in his last four games, scoring at least 22 points in all those outings.
The Timberwolves have the second-longest odds to win the NBA Finals, at +18000. They are +6500 to win the Western Conference and +385 to surpass the first round.
