Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Portland Trailblazers
Date: February 11th, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM CST
Location: Target Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network – North
Radio Coverage: KFAN FM, Wolves App, iHeart Radio

After a completely embarrassing, effort-free faceplant on Super Bowl Sunday, the Minnesota Timberwolves did the one thing that makes them endlessly fascinating and deeply exhausting: they flipped the switch. The effort switch. On the second night of a back-to-back, they suddenly looked like a team that remembered it has playoff aspirations, flying around on defense, sharing the ball, playing with purpose, and generally acting like they’d rather not be roasted for another 48 hours.

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Monday night felt like the antithesis of Sunday afternoon. Energy instead of apathy. Cohesion instead of chaos. A team that looked engaged rather than mildly offended that it had to be there. And now, as the Portland Trail Blazers roll into Target Center, the only real question is the one that has haunted this season from October onward:

Which version of the Wolves shows up?

The optimist says Sunday was rock bottom. That the Clippers embarrassment, on the heels of two other fairly indefensible losses to Memphis and New Orleans, finally sank in. That Monday night wasn’t a fluke, but a correction. A team rediscovering its identity just in time to close the pre–All-Star stretch strong.

The pessimist, who, let’s be honest, has watched a lot of Timberwolves basketball, sees a midweek game with All-Star Weekend looming, beaches and warm climates calling, and thinks, Uh oh. Because this team has shown us before that “one good response game” does not necessarily lead to sustained focus. Sometimes it just buys them enough goodwill to fall back into old habits, just like they did against Brooklyn and Atlanta around the holidays.

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So which Wolves team are we getting Wednesday night?

Because on paper, this should be straightforward. Minnesota has more talent. More size. More experience. More at stake. If they come out locked in and impose their will, this is a win. If they sleepwalk, Portland is young, scrappy, fearless, and perfectly happy to steal a game from a team that doesn’t take them seriously.

That’s the tension. That’s the season.

With that, here are the keys to the game.

#1: Bring energy immediately. No more waiting for the panic button.
We all know the routine by now. If the Wolves spend the first three quarters “feeling things out,” playing with their food, and assuming they can flip the switch later, we’re heading straight toward another unnecessary sweat, or worse. When they came out against Atlanta, they played like a team that wanted to be done with nonsense. That’s the blueprint. This is the final game before the break. There’s plenty of rest coming. Empty the tank. Don’t spot a young team confidence by being casual.

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#2: Keep the ball moving and the offense fluid.
Monday night worked because the Wolves played basketball like it’s supposed to be played. The ball popped. Multiple guys touched it. Shooters were involved early. The offense didn’t devolve into late-clock desperation or “your turn, my turn” isolation. Getting players like Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu engaged matters, not just for scoring, but for rhythm. If this turns into Ant-and-Randle hero ball for long stretches, Portland will hang around longer than it should.

#3: Dominate the paint, even if Naz Reid can’t go.
There’s still uncertainty around a Naz Reid suspension after his altercation with Mouhamed Gueye, and if he’s unavailable, the Wolves will need Joan Beringer to soak up real minutes alongside Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle. The assignment doesn’t change: use the size advantage. Clean the glass. Create easy offense through putbacks, lobs, and interior touches. This is how you stabilize games.

Like so many Wolves games this season, this one isn’t about scheme or matchups or some secret adjustment. It’s about professionalism. Win this game, and you head into the All-Star break with momentum, confidence, and a sense that Monday wasn’t just a one-off. Lose it, or barely survive while sleepwalking, and the questions come roaring back.

The Timberwolves have shown they can be locked in. They’ve shown they can dominate. Now they just need to prove, one more time before the break, that Monday wasn’t the exception, it was the reminder.

Finish strong. Enter All-Star Weekend on a positive note. And maybe, just maybe, give us reason to believe the switch can stay on.