It's NBA playoff time, and like death, taxes and the rising of the sun in the east, it is the Wolves against Denver. OK, not quite as inevitable as those other things, it's still three of the last four seasons these teams will battle in the postseason.
Wolves sixth-man Naz Reid says he’s embracing their underdog label this time around. He says the team is using that as extra motivation to "get them going."
"I think you know we got the right schemes, the right game plans and so forth," Reid told the media Tuesday afternoon. "And so, just go out there and compete and make the right plays."
Reid also says his shoulder is feeling fine for the postseason and that the Wolves are focused on playing a gritty defensive style to disrupt Denver's star and multiple time MVP Nikola Jokic, who has had yet another dominant season. He leads the NBA in rebounds and assists, the first NBA player ever to accomplish that, and also averages 27 points a game.
The Nuggets enter the playoffs with a 12-game winning streak and the 3-seed. Minnesota is the 6-seed.
A lot of the defensive effort will fall on Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert who says they're ready for the challenge, and he believes the Wolves have what it takes to win. But it will mean they need to play hard on the defensive end - which hasn't always happened in 2025-26. And that means staying focused as a team.
"We know. We know what this team is capable of, and I think it's that belief is within us," Gobert said. "We know that not a lot of people are believing in us to accomplish this, but we do believe in ourselves."
Gobert says that Minnesota has grown more mature and is ready to handle the "ups and downs" of a long playoff series, something they have definitely shown the last two seasons when they have made a run to the Western Conference Finals, including a series win over Denver two years ago.
One major factor in the series is health. The Wolves limped to the finish line, with star Anthony Edwards and perhaps their second most important player, Jaden McDaniels, both battling injuries. The good news is the Wolves were mostly locked into the 6-seed for the last stretch of the season and got a chance to rest both. Coach Chris Finch says both are ready to go for the series.
Game 1 of the series is set for this Saturday, at 2:30 p.m. at Ball Arena in Denver. The rest of the game times will be announced later this week.
The playoffs technically won’t start until Saturday. But the play-in tournament starts Tuesday, with an elimination game between Miami and Charlotte set to get things started in the six-game, eight-team event.
Phoenix and Portland play Tuesday night to decide the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.
On Wednesday, Orlando goes to Philadelphia to decide the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, followed by an elimination game between Golden State and the Los Angeles Clippers.
The play-in ends Friday with two games to decide which teams will take on the No. 1 seeds — Oklahoma City in the West, Detroit in the East.
Friday’s schedule
7:30 p.m. EDT — Miami-Charlotte winner at Orlando-Philadelphia loser (Prime Video)
10 p.m. EDT — Golden State-LA Clippers winner at Portland-Phoenix loser (Prime Video)
Saturday’s schedule
1 p.m. EDT — Game 1, Toronto at Cleveland (Prime Video)
3:30 p.m. EDT — Game 1, Minnesota at Denver (Prime Video)
6 p.m. — Game 1, Atlanta at New York (Prime Video)
8:30 p.m. — Game 1, Houston at LA Lakers (ABC)
Sunday’s games
1 p.m. EDT — Game 1, Orlando-Philadelphia winner at Boston (ABC)
3:30 p.m. EDT — Game 1, TBD at Oklahoma City (ABC)
6:30 p.m. EDT — Game 1, TBD at Detroit (NBC/Peacock)
The Wolves are playing the underdog card this time around, as Naz Reid says it'll "get them going"
The Wolves are playing the underdog card this time around, as Naz Reid says it'll "get them going"
