Minnesota Timberwolves head to Western Conference finals: What we know so far
The Minnesota Timberwolves are headed back to the Western Conference finals for a second straight season, a feat the franchise has never before achieved.
After going 8-2 against the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, the Wolves will head into the penultimate series feeling confident and well-rested.
Here's everything you need to know as the Wolves prepare for the Western Conference finals.
Who will the Wolves play?
The Wolves' opponent in the conference finals will either be the Denver Nuggets or Oklahoma City Thunder. They're tied 3-3, with Game 7 set for Sunday afternoon.
No matter who wins that series, the Wolves will be the road team for the next series. As the No. 6 seed, they'll cede homecourt advantage to either the No. 4 Nuggets or No. 1 Thunder.
A seven-game series is good news for the Wolves, because whoever does win will have little rest before the conference finals. The Nuggets already went seven games in their first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers.
When do the Wolves play?
While we don't yet know who the Wolves' opponent will be, we do know most of the schedule for the Western Conference finals:
- Game 1: Tuesday, May 20, 7:30 p.m. CT at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City/Ball Arena in Denver
- Game 2: Thursday, May 22, 7:30 p.m. CT at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City/Ball Arena in Denver
- Game 3: Saturday, May 24, 7:30 p.m. CT at Target Center in Minneapolis
- Game 4: Monday, May 26, 7:30 p.m. CT at Target Center in Minneapolis
- Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, May 28, 7:30 p.m. CT at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City/Ball Arena in Denver
- Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, May 30, 7:30 p.m. CT at Target Center in Minneapolis
- Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, June 1, 7 p.m. CT at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City/Ball Arena in Denver
Are tickets available?
Tickets for three potential Wolves' home games will go on sale at noon on Friday.
How have the Wolves looked in the playoffs?
The Wolves have not looked as dominant as two straight gentleman's sweeps would suggest, but they're still playing solid ball. They're second-best in the West in both offensive (115.7) and defensive (108.1) rating this postseason. The Thunder lead them in both categories — 116.2 and 102.8, respectively — but they also had an easier first-round matchup.
Superstar Anthony Edwards is averaging 26.5 points a game, while his running mate Julius Randle is logging 23.9. Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels are also averaging double digits.
What happened in last year's Western Conference finals?
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks bounced the Wolves in five games. Two of the Wolves' losses came down to the wire, but the Mavericks were just flat-out the better team.
Who's left in the Eastern Conference?
In the East, the Indiana Pacers topped the Cleveland Cavaliers to make a second-straight conference finals.
The New York Knicks lead the Boston Celtics 3-2 in the other series.
