The Timberwolves qualified for the playoffs for the third straight season on Monday night, but for the first time in that span they won't have to make it out of the play-in tournament to make the actual playoffs.
Last season, the Wolves lost to the Lakers in the first play-in game, then beat Oklahoma City to secure the No. 8 seed, but lost to top-seeded Denver in the first round.
The Timberwolves are guaranteed to finish no higher than sixth in the Western Conference this year, but they now have a big goal in front of them: winning the Western Conference. The battle for the title is currently between the Timberwolves, Denver, and Oklahoma City.
With the arrival of the play-in tournament, 11 teams from the Western Conference still remain alive to make the playoffs. The top 6 participants will be automatically entered. Teams 7-10 will participate in the play-in tournament, with two teams emerging as the 7th and 8th seeds.
The regular season ends on April 14th. The play-in tournament will be held from April 16th to 19th, and the Timberwolves will play their first playoff game on April 20th or April 21st.
Here's how things stand and what the Wolves' seeding will look like.
Western Conference Standings
Battle for No.1
Denver: 53-23
Timberwolves: 52-23 (1/2 game difference)
Oklahoma City: 52-23 (half game difference)
remaining pack
Los Angeles Clippers: 47 wins, 28 losses (5 1/2 games behind)
Dallas: 45 wins, 30 losses (7 and a half games difference)
New Orleans: 45-30 (7 1/2 games behind)
Current play-in team
Phoenix: 44 wins, 31 losses (8 and a half games behind)
Sacramento: 44 wins, 31 losses (8 1/2 games difference)
Los Angeles Lakers: 43 wins, 33 losses (10 games difference)
Golden State: 41 wins, 34 losses (11 1/2 games difference)
still hunting
Houston: 38-36 (14 1/2 games apart)
playoff scenario
If the Timberwolves finish either first or second in the Western Conference, they will face one of the two teams that won the play-in tournament. If they finish third, they will face the sixth overall seed. The Wolves have one big advantage if the teams are tied in the standings, as they currently hold tiebreakers against Denver and Oklahoma City. Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine explained the situation to X:
The Timberwolves have seven games remaining, including a monster game in Denver on April 10th, with four home games and three on the road. The Nuggets have six games remaining, including games at San Antonio and Memphis, on the road, two at home and four on the road. Utah State, one of the worst teams in the conference. Oklahoma City has seven games remaining (four at home, three on the road), including the current Eastern Conference road trip with games at Boston and Indiana remaining.
Entering Tuesday night, Oklahoma City had the 10th toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, while the Timberwolves ranked 19th and Denver ranked 29th, according to Tankathon.com.
Check back here as we continue to update you on the Western Conference race ahead of the Wolves' return to the playoffs.
