The Timberwolves shrugged off a season-high five-game losing streak and have now won four in a row for the fourth time this season. And when looking at their six February games before the mid-month All-Star break, the Wolves have a good opportunity to stay hot over the next week-plus.
The month of February begins on Monday night with a second straight game in Memphis against a severely shorthanded Grizzlies team, who the Wolves beat by 17 on Saturday. Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke, Zach Edey, and Santi Aldama are out once again. Jaren Jackson Jr. might return, but he might not. Even if one of Anthony Edwards or Julius Randle are out, the Wolves should have enough to take care of business again.
Wednesday brings a significant challenge. The Timberwolves are making their yearly trip to Toronto, where they haven’t won a game since January 2004 (20 straight losses). The Raptors are 30-21 this season, but they’re just 14-11 at home and are 14th in the league in net rating. The Wolves should be motivated to try to finally end that streak.
Julius Randle in Toronto in November 2024 | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
After that, Minnesota will return home to play the Pelicans, Clippers, Hawks and Trail Blazers before getting eight days off for the All-Star break. The Clippers, who have gone 17-4 since a 6-21 start to the season, are easily the best team of that bunch. However, the Wolves have won five straight against LAC and nine of the last ten meetings. The Hawks and Blazers are sub-.500 and currently the No. 10 seed in their respective conference, while the Pelicans are one of the five worst teams in the league.
Here’s a complete look at this six-game stretch for Minnesota.
Monday, Feb. 2: at Grizzlies (18-29), 6:30 p.m. CT, PeacockWednesday, Feb. 4: at Raptors (30-21), 6:30 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports NetworkFriday, Feb. 6: vs. Pelicans (13-38), 7:00 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports NetworkSunday, Feb. 8: vs. Clippers (23-25), 2:00 p.m. CT, ESPNMonday, Feb. 9: vs. Hawks (24-27), 7:00 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports NetworkWednesday, Feb. 11: vs. Trail Blazers (23-27), 7:00 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports Network
Anything less than a 4-2 record in that stretch would be a significant disappointment for the Timberwolves. 5-1 or even 6-0 should be possible if they come out with the right amount of intensity and effort on a nightly basis. There’s no excuse to take any of these games lightly, not at this point in the season where every game has major seeding implications in the West. That’s especially true with the All-Star break coming up and providing an opportunity for rest.
Heading into action on Monday, the Wolves are 31-19 and in the No. 5 seed in the West. Only 3.5 games separate the second-seeded Spurs (33-16) from the seventh-seeded Suns (30-20).
NBA Western Conference Standings on Monday, February 2 | ESPN.com
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